12 Shades Of Brown

About

When Junior Brown’s debut arrived in 1993, he'd already been a jewel of the Austin club scene for several years. He wasn't just a virtuoso singer and guitarist—best known for his ability to play pedal steel and electric licks in tandem—but a veritable compendium of postwar American country styles. <i>12 Shades of Brown</i> is a showcase for his expertise, knowledge, and all-around class. He shifts seamlessly from heartfelt West Texas honky tonk (“My Baby Don’t Dance to Nothing but Ernest Tubb,” “Coconut Island”) to high-powered Bakersfield swing (“Baby Let the Bad Times Be,” “Too Many Nights in a Roadhouse”) to rugged-but-sweet Kristofferson-esque folk (“They Don’t Choose to Live That Way”). Notwithstanding Brown’s superlative taste and ability, the best thing about <i>12 Shades of Brown</i> is its tone. It'd have been easy for a prodigy like Brown to go garish. Instead, he adopts a warm, restrained approach that gives the performances a timeless feel. Even when he’s moving at a lightning clip, as on “Freeborn Man,” his presence remains gentle, his attack hushed.

via Apple Music