Brian Houston, Sugar Queen

Brian Houston wasn't a name I knew a few months back and I 'walked' into his music by accident and I'm glad I did! Houston's latest album 'Sugar Queen' is a great example of beautiful chilled out music that you just seem to be able to play at any time. But there's more to that. I've heard plenty of 'easy listening' rock/pop music that doesn't have the deciding 'grow on you' factor to it; music that lacks good inventive melodies and smart use of different instruments. Brian Houston definitely does have this deciding factor and the result is an album with a lot of beautiful songs sung by a guy with a great voice.

This was pretty much the first album I completely bought on iTunes and the first song I bought to test the 'Brian Houston-water' was the first track 'End of the Beginning' which is a great rocky, yet gentle song with a great chorus that sticks in your head for quite a while and one of those choruses you find yourself singing with out even thinking! 'Childish Things', the second track is a great track too, with a lovely flow to it and it's another example of a beautifully crafted song with playful a playful melody. This is something you will get used to on this album! 'Childish Things' also showcases Houston's ability to write great lyrics with a good dose of wit weaved into them.

Track 3 and 4 are great ballads, with track 3 'A Woman's Touch' being a beautiful quiet and slow moving song with a honest and open lyrics, confessing the need for the touch of a woman in his hard heart. Track 4 'Sugar Queen' is good, but one of my least favourite songs on the album. Luckily the 5th track 'These Days' is just great again. Lovely rhythm and great use of an organ, drums and guitars. Very bright sounding song with great lyrics.

One (great) thing I find with all of these songs is that the music and the emotions and feelings it leaves you with, changes as different elements get emphasised in the lyrics. These 'transitions' happen even within individual songs and they bear testimony to a songwriter that knows good songs come from the right relationship between music, lyrics and the use of the right instruments.

'The Ballad of Matthew Shepard' is a lovely song with a dramatic feel to it. It provides a 'resting point' on the album where when you actually put this CD on to listen to, rather than use it as background music. 'Chase the Devil' is a great song too and it brings me to my conclusion.

Sugar Queen holds many more great songs, 11 in total with the last one being a live track where Houston can be witnessed as natural performer and entertainer. The down to earth lyrics that hold a good sense of witty humour are just as much part of this album as the great varied style of music Houston provides within the boundaries of his 'genre' - although I generally find 'genre' limits music and artists' intentions and I wouldn't want to do that this with album, which in my opinion passes over between pop, rock, folk and perhaps even a little 'country' - luckily the latter is very very little!

So, if you would have not guessed by now, this album is a definite recommendation! Brilliant collection of great songs with great vocals!