Jonathan Bree Photo: Chelsea Nikkel
Jim Pinckney reviews the potent new album from Auckland musician Jonathan Bree.
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A Little Night Music is the title of the second album by Auckland musician Jonathan Bree, and it finds him taking his studiously styled, pop machinations on a slightly sinister, nocturnal journey.
Captivated by Russian ballet scores and Béla Bartók’s re-imagined folk compositions Bree has uprooted himself from the familiarity of his ‘bubblegum and beyond’ approach and stepped into darker, more complex and rewarding territory. It’s immediately apparent from Drones & Satellites, the first full length song, following a short introductory instrumental string piece, just how far he has moved on from his impressive solo debut 2013’s Primrose Path and the legacy of the Brunettes. With his shadowy, star gazing, musical movements and musings, Bree has left the field wide open for his next move. If he manages to continue to push himself, and his art, to such interesting places, it should be quite a spectacle.
Songs played: Prelude, Once It Was Nice, Drones & Satellites, Blur, Murder, There Is Sadness
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