Jonathan Bree – Sleepwalking (Lil Chief)

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Brunettes frontman and Lil’ Chief Records co-founder Jonathan Bree is back with his third studio album, Sleepwalking, an album that takes the listener on a trip down memory lane via 1960s lounge pop and melodic songs about love and relationships.

Sleepwalking is a heavily orchestrated album with lush strings, horns, and percussion arrangements conjuring up comparisons with the likes of 60s pop singers Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra.

Songs like Say You Love Me Too, Coke, and Roller Disco are a testament to the 60s pop feel of this record and in many ways are examples of a bygone era musically where the famed Wrecking Crew appeared on everyone’s records.

Love and romance Is also a common theme on Sleepwalking with the song Valentine a case in point. Released as a single on Valentine’s Day earlier this year, Valentine is one of Bree’s best ever songs and a candidate for pop song of the year as Bree channels Jarvis Cocker in what in many respects is the album’s centrepiece.

Sleepwalking may feel like a carefully crafted pop record, but there is also plenty of avant-garde stylings and experimentation happening as well, all be it with mixed results.

Tracks like Boombox Serenade meander along without going anywhere, while Bree’s two duets Static and Plucking Petals with fellow Lil’ Chief stablemate Princess Chelsea appear more like experimental pastiches rather than conventional duets. The experimental side of the album is only saved by the excellent closer Fuck It which sounds very Beck-like, especially in its incorporation of synths.

All up, Bree showcases some quality song-writing across Sleepwalking, songs which are brought to life with excellent instrumentation and arrangements which do just enough to support Bree as a frontman without overpowering him and his delicate vocal delivery. The lush strings put the listener at ease from the get-go allowing the listener then to get lost in tales of love, relationships, and… more love.

The singles definitely stood out in quality among some at times quite turgid and boring album tracks, however, these moments were fleeting across the album and did not disrupt the general flow of the album that much.

In conclusion, I would say that Sleepwalking was a steady, albeit, not stunning return from Bree. However, this considered, there were certainly enough glimpses on show to prove that he remains one of the more daring songwriters in New Zealand.

Sam Smith

 

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