Brewer, Evan: Your Itinerary

One possible headline is "Bassist for Death Metal band releases second solo CD." What a total disservice that headline would be! Evan Brewer plays bass in The Faceless, but this isn't a death metal CD. Evan's first solo recording was just him and his bass. This new release entitled Your Itinerary features a full band (drums, keyboards, guitar solos).

Right away "The Adjacent Possible" blows open the possibilities (pun?) by using synth melodies, bass tapping, and brilliantly tight drumming provided by ex-Animals as Leaders Navene Koperweis. The instrumental melodies break down halfway through the song and the first amazing bass experience is upon us: panned in left and right ears there are two different bass lines happening and they mesh into syncopated harmonies. Immediately my mind travels in time and I think "remember how awesome Stu Hamm is?" - this is the genius torch being taken by Evan into the current generation of bass players.

"Microscopic Scale" is testament to Brewer's musicianship because this doesn't sound like "solo album by bass player" but it sounds like "solo album by amazing music composer." One would have to know what is possible on bass guitar in order to hear that some of these lines are played on a bass; many would say keyboards, or guitar, or "I had no idea a bass could sound like that."

Evan on bass is more thoroughly featured on "Another World" until a slick guitar solo by Robert Provine kicks in. Every song has the pure-bass moments, especially "This Seems Familiar" which includes the funk slapping no one imagines a death metal bass player would typically possess.

I don't think this CD is missing anything quite frankly. The production is as clean and balanced as they come. Don't wait for any brutal death metal riffs because they don't exist on this CD and that's perfectly fine. If you enjoy bass-heavy jazz fusion, melodic instrumental rock or the rhythms of Animals as Leaders, then this is now on your listening itinerary.

Track Listing
1. The Adjacent Possible
2. Microscopic Scale
3. Another World
4. This Seems Familiar
5. A Little Goes A Long Way
6. Cause for Concern
7. Home Away from Home
8. Full Circle

Added: July 29th 2013
Reviewer: Ryan Good
Score:
Related Link: Artist Facebook Page
Hits: 2062
Language: english

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