293) Brad - Shame

I don’t mind Pearl Jam. They are not my normal type of band, and I wouldn’t be sure if I have heard all of their records but the ones I have heard I have liked and if you have ninety million record sales and have been going for over thirty years then you are doing something right.

Stone Gossard has been with Pearl Jam since they formed so is an incredibly wealthy man but what I did not know was that after the enormous success of Ten and before Vs arrived, he formed another band, Brad.

Brad released six albums, this being their debut the tragedy is their sixth album was released after the death of their lead singer Shawn Smith who sadly died of a torn aorta in his early fifties.

Over these eleven tracks its Smith’s vocals that dominates, he does not have a voice like Eddie Vedder or Kurt Cobain, its softer, a flawless falsetto sometimes, and he is no slouch on the piano and Gossard adds some of his guitar riffs and the odd flourish. Seeming recorded in roughly 20 days the songs were originally jams with the band working through them.

Buttercup is a slow burn of an opener introducing soft Smith’s vocals with the band understated in the background, a grower I’d call it. 

My Fingers is a lot more guitar and distorted vocals and this is what this record is a mixture of ballads or more traditional grunge.

Nadine and 20th Century has a funk vibe & 20th Century wouldn’t be out of place on a Chili Peppers album and Screen is intense with a beautiful vocal from Smith (what a voice this man had) and a nice solo from Stone and there is something infectious when the riffs hit on Raid Love.

For me the latter half of the record falls away as Rockstar is a nothing song and the closer We has a lovely piano throughout and the riff that appears a minute in is great but why they put the voice over in at the end is beyond me, it’s a good song just don’t listen to the last minute, a poor end to an interesting record.

6/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Screen