Search - Charlie Major :: Tony Brantley

Canadian singer-songwriter Charlie Major must have been big on Sting and Springsteen back in the '80s. Two songs here--"It Breaks My Heart" and "Thinking 'Bout You"--are cut from the mold of the Police's "Every Breath You Take"; the latter tune even quotes that title in the lyrics. Others seem directly inspired by the Boss's Tunnel of Love. The album also includes a cover of Bob Dylan's "Oh Sister," with Tammy Rogers's Appalachian fiddle subbing for the Gypsy violin on the original. Not that there's anything wrong with country artists recycling discarded pop sounds, especially if it's good pop. Major finds his most distinctive voice on the album's most commercial tunes--"Right Here, Right Now," "One True Love"--either of which could be the artist-owned Dead Reckoning label's best shot yet at a bona fide radio hit. --Rick Mitchell