| Brian Kremer |
| Written by Chris Humphrey | |
 BRIAN KREMERClimbing the Vine Darling Echo Records (Release Date: 11/18/08) Brian Kremer’s debut CD provides the perfect soundtrack for one of those deliciously melancholic Sunday evening mopes. You know the one: the weekend is over; the long bicycle ride or soccer game or hike in the hills is history; the long distance lover has once again gotten into the car or on an airplane, returning to wherever it is that calls him or her away from you. Climbing the Vine is just the thing for prolonging the sigh, for indulging in just a few more hours of exquisitely pleasurable heartache before returning to the real world on Monday morning. Kremer’s original songs tell of longing (“Rescue Me”), self reflection (“Austin”), hope (“Stone by Stone”), and vulnerability (“Be Sweet to Me”). By far the most memorable track on the CD is “Tuesday Morning Birthday,” which reflects on spending a 30th birthday far, far from home. The track opens with delicate guitar work reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, followed by Kremer’s plaintive delivery underscored with a poignant string accompaniment by the Tosca String Quartet. Kremer has made some wise choices in his selection of supporting musicians. In addition to Tosca, he includes back-up vocals on some of the tracks to add color and body to the songs, and Cindy Cashdollar’s steel guitar on others to lend a Texas flavor to this relatively new Texas singer (he was born in Colorado and raised in Vermont). Likewise, Chip Dolan’s piano and organ conjure up sonic images of Tom Waits and Bob Dylan respectively, giving the songs a nostalgically familiar sound, even as Kremer delivers new and as yet unfamiliar lyrics. Though he may be new to Austin, Brian Kremer is far from new to music. A singer since the age of six, he grew up to study voice and music theory at Berklee College of Music, where he earned his degree in music production and engineering. With those credentials, with his talent for writing both music and lyrics, and with his ability to assemble top notch supporting musicians, we can look forward to hearing more from this young singer-songwriter. In the meantime, we can sit back, watch the sun go down and the shadows grow long, and let Climbing the Vine take us into our happy sad place. Brain Kremer will play a CD release show on Wednesday, November 19 (10:00pm) at the Saxon Pub. |