Braddigan - Watchfires

Note:  This review was initially published on Braddigan's message board on December 29th, 2004.   The album shipped on Feb 4th, 2005.

I know we're all looking forward to Watchfires, or we wouldn't be here, but having heard it, I can understand why Brad can't contain his excitement! And honestly, I can't contain mine, either! It's a good thing Brad gave me the go-ahead to share my thoughts with you, or I'd be bursting at the seams for a whole month waiting for the release date!

There's not a lemon on here, folks, not even close! Lots of fans are already familiar with most of these songs from the Demos or in a live setting, but the additions have breathed a whole new dimension of life and depth into each of them! One of the first things that stood out to me was the added bass and percussion on several tracks, and I got a real kick out of the beginning of the CD--I had to check to see if my player was working right :;): . And Phil, well, the phretmeister rarely disappoints!

I was so tired when I wrote Brad about the CD, trying to describe what I thought of it at like 3 in the morning. Wow...words failed me then and they do now as well. The raw energy here is incredible!

"Walls" starts off the CD with something akin to a backwoods hillbilly thing with the slide guitar--like something you'd hear on the Andy Griffith show. But wow, it explodes into a fun, energetic folk rock tune that sets the pace for the first half of the CD. "Daggers" continues, at a moderate pace, allowing the words to sink in and let you catch your breath--until Keaggy lights your ears on fire with his fretwork! Things move on with "Sweet Jah", which gets you in the mood to really groove. But "Fallin'" still blows your socks off! It's latin beats and deep bass lines raise your heartbeat just sitting still! Oh, but wait, there's more! "Pura Vida" has more of that latin fell and powerful bass, with the tight vocal harmonies we've come to love. Whew, 5 down and I'm already tired...good thing "Sailin'" is such a laid back and lazy tuen. It gives me a chance to catch my breath, because I'm going to need it!

If the first half of the disc was breathtaking in it's energy and stylistic variety, then the rest of the disc is breathtaking for another reason.

"Sweet Uncertain" blew my mind the first time I heard the song. It still does. And I'm not just talking about Phil's guitar solo! The words, the music, the production, everything on here makes a powerful statement. I remember telling Philly how much I enjoy this song a month or so ago. I told him I'd love to see him play a sweet guitar bit. So imagine my shock when he told me he'd just done it! Great minds think alike. "The Crossing", with it's light percussion, guitars, and stellar vocals, steps you down and prepares you for a bare-bones version of "City On A Hill". With it's straightforward lyrics, no other production would be more appropriate than this simple arrangement of nothing more than Brad's vocal and a few uneffected acoustic guitars. With the rest of the album being so full of life, it would be easy to overproduce this track, but doing so would rob it of the inherent power and depth of the lyrics. Wow.

If the CD ended there, it would be a great project, but it doesn't. As much as I love Brad's vocals, some things just cannot be put into words. And "Noah's Ark" is one of them. This track paints an incredible picture in my mind. I was looking through some photos the other day and found one that fits this song perfecty. It's beauty remnds me of my first Florida sunrise. I'd woken up early (I *NEVER* wake up early, folks!) and walked out onto the balcony of the beach-front resort condo where I was staying.  The sun hadn't really popped it's head out yet, but it was light enough to read so I opened "The Holiness of God" by RC Sproul for a rare quiet moment, hearing only the sound of the waves on the beach directly below. But I couldn't focus on the book--I sat there and watched the sun rise over the beach reflecting in the water. That is the kind of beauty in "Noah's Arc". Whether that's what Brad intended or not, I can't say. But that's what I think of whenever I hear "Noah's Arc".

And if THAT isn't enough, there's one more treat! Philly's back! "Noah's Arc" had some beautiful Keaggy-esque moments in it, but this is the real thing. Watchfires closes with a delicious little acoustic "Keaggy Jam" with Phil and Brad--it may not be "premium" or "stark raving", but this track is one sweet little piece of ear candy! Way to go, Brad!

Wow, I can't believe this is so long! Like Brad, I can't wait for ya'll to hear it!!!!!!!

-- by Stephanie Bargenquast