Brad James Swallow - Loving You
Blues, Rock
Louisiana, United States
Overall Impression: You really can't beat a wholesome slice of blues-drenched rock'n'roll and Brad James Swallow serves up a particularly generous piece with his gloriously riff-tastic and lick-rich "Loving You", a groove infused mid-paced blues rocker that combines catchy hooks, great character, and a genuine love for the genre. There's a certain rawness to "Loving You" that really helps give it that signature "down'n'dirty" stripped back feeling that's synonymous with the blues-rock genre, and between the track's brilliant rhythmic bite and clearly defined sense of melody, Brad's gravelly vocal performance perfectly captures the unbridled spirit of the blues, ensuring listeners are treated to a solid listening experience that is abundant in feel.
Strongest Point(s): The performances are certainly strong and effectively convey the track's many ideas both efficiently and confidently, it's also worth noting that whilst the performances are tight, there's still a looseness to them that allows the track to feel both natural and free-flowing in nature. The inclusion of a semi-tone shift between E and F in the chord progression is an excellent way to inject an extra dose of tension into the arrangement and momentarily creates a darker harmonic quality to the music that is made even more effective when it eventually resolves back to the A, this shows a great level of attentiveness in the writing and serves as a great example of how to effectively create emotional dynamism within a track.
Target Audience Appeal: Fans of classic blues rock will certainly appreciate what "Loving You" has to offer.
Artist target suggestions: Eric Gales, Walter Trout, Joe Bonamassa, Julian Sas, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Clark Jr. B.B. King, Jonny Lang, Albert Cummings
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.