Aaron Brady: The Optimists

I feel like I gave Aaron the shaft last time I talked about an album of his. I know the guy and like his music but didn't want to seem that I was just praising his album because he's a buddy. I'm past that feeling now.

Aaron's latest release, The Optimists, is something I feel like I've been waiting years for. I've heard him perform some of these songs at an instore appearance last fall and heard a few more drift through his myspace page.

On Optimists, I feel like Aaron really brought his A+ game. There's a lot of heart and soul in these songs, a lot of energy, a lot of thought, and it feels like a lot of his self as well. He's crafted some great Top40 tunes (which are always key for smaller artists) as well as some deeply thoughtful tunes that show the man's talent.

I'm having a hard time limiting to "key tracks," but I'll give it a go:
What Are You Trying to Tell Me is the third track on the disc, and the first one that features him how I think he works best: acoustic; Living It Up is my hands down favourite track - it's got a great beat, fun lyrics, and is wonderfully infectious; We Don't Understand has a very percussive sound, but is so very beautiful (I get choked up a little, ok?); and The Optimists is Aaron's very "political track," as he told us before performing it last fall. Simply amazing.

In the End: This is an solid and intelligent entry into the Summer's pop-rock genre. With just a little push, this album could go from hidden gem to beloved summer rock album. Give it a listen, tell a friend. We spend all this time and money on talentless hacks, let's put some of that energy behind someone who actually has the talent to back the hype.

On the Web: Sadly, I know of no bootlegs / rarities / whatever on the web for a bonus browsing experience, but you can check out a few of the new tracks on his myspace page: myspace.com/aaronbrady.

Technorati Tagged: Aaron Brady | Best of 2006 | Small Artists