James Bradley "Transition"

James Bradley is relatively new on the Texas/Americana music scene. I actually first met him last March at Texas Music Revolution V, and he told me then he was getting ready to do his own CD. I have been updated on the progression of this CD fairly often since then, and now the finished product has come to pass. Bradley handed me my autographed copy recently for review much like a proud, father presenting his first newborn child. He handed it to me proudly, yet nervously.

Bradley recruited some top notch help in putting this CD together. Doc Wesson and Curtis Tilton along with Bradley produced it. Musical talents include Bradley, Wesson, Tilton, Ray Austin, and Jim Richmond. Davin James lends some of his fantastic guitar playing abilities. Kevin Deal also contributes with some fine harmonica playing, and Dana Hazzard does some good fiddle playing. Musically, this CD is of the very finest quality.

The first song on this 14 track CD, “Just Between You and Me”, kicks off with an upbeat pace, yet the lyrics are about a heart that’s been broken and is coming to terms with the fact that it’s over.

The third song, “Communication”, is a rockin’ tune. The music in it was good, but somehow Bradley’s voice didn’t seem to fit to me. I listened to it several times, and I’m not sure if it’s the music overpowering the voice, or just the fact that I prefer Bradley’s voice in “softer” tunes. As the fourth song came on “I Sleep With The Light On”, it was almost as if I said, “okay, now we’re back where we need to be”. This is probably my favorite song on the CD. We’ve all been in this place he sings about, and it made me appreciate that it’s someplace I haven’t been in a very long time.

I finally decided after listening to the entire CD, that it’s Bradley’s gentle voice, much like his nature, that was the deciding factor on the songs I really liked best. The songs with gentler musical stylings suited his voice quite well, and those are his forte. The final song “A Comedy” was a good way to end. I think, especially with this tune, not only will Bradley be a talented singer of love/heartache songs, but a storyteller with his song, too.

There is a wide variety of stylings on this CD, including rockin’, bluesy, reggae, traditional country, sweet ballads, and even an instrumental. I consistently found my preferences to be those of what I have actually seen Bradley do with just a guitar and a microphone. When it comes down to it, the CD is good overall on its own merit, but I like the less “jazzed up” side of Bradley the most The more traditional country and simple stylings seem to suit his soft voice much better. Perhaps it’s personal preference on my part of having enjoyed some of his tunes LIVE that makes me feel this way. I will say this. He has every right to be the “proud Papa” of this CD with all the obvious hard work and nurturing he did to make it. Keep an eye on Bradley. The more he performs and empowers his way into this unique genre of OKOM (our kind of music), he may just blossom into someone we’ll some day speak of as, “I knew him back when he had his first CD".

Written by Dana Jones, November 2001

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