Search - Nelson Bragg :: Day Into Night

A Harmony-Lover's Delight

Laurie Biagini | Vancouver, BC Canada | 02/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first heard a few tracks from Nelson Bragg's album "Day Into Night" on his website, I knew this was going to be a very special CD. Upon first hearing the album, I couldn't believe my ears... what a treat! This was an album that I very much wanted to review.



Nelson Bragg, originally from Massachusetts, has been working in Los Angeles with many bands and artists including The Now People, The Quarter After, The Mello Cads, Cosmo Topper, Cloud Eleven, The Mockers and Brian Wilson, just to name a few. He wears many hats, including drummer-percussionist, singer, songwriter, producer and arranger, and with every hat he wears, there's no doubt that he wears it well.



This album is a harmony-lover's delight. The overall feel is that of a folk-rock-pop combination. Smooth rhythm guitar beautifully carries the songs while the lush harmony vocals lift you to a higher place in this acoustic paradise. The melodies are beautiful and soulful, and evolve from a light perspective into a much deeper mood later in the album (hence, the sequence of tracks following the progression of day into night, light into dark). The lyrics speak of life's lessons and fall 'close to home' for many of us.



Beautiful melodies and lush instrumentals aside, what really got my attention on this album were Nelson's perfect lead vocals, enriched with beautiful layers of his vocal harmonies. The complexities of these vocals really blew me away, being a fan of these harmony-rich pop sounds. Nelson has really excelled in creating these lush arrangements.



I'm unable to pick a favorite track on this album because in actuality, I love every track in different ways. Although it's hard to limit it to one choice, I'll describe a handful of the tracks that seem to stand out to this listener.



The opening track "Forever Days" immediately captures your attention with the bright jangly guitar intro and beautiful rhythm strumming accompaniment, then Nelson's vocals lead you on a journey in an almost bittersweet sentiment, yet the positive feel of the music carries you through with a feeling of warm optimism.



"I Dare You (Show Me Love)" is song of bitter emotion, and has a real gutsy feel to it. It sounds as if a hard lesson has been learned and a newfound strength is carrying him through. But what really stands out in this song are the lush vocal arrangements of all sorts of wonderful harmonies, weaving in and out, intertwined around a beautiful melody.



"Dark Sweet Lady" is one of the most beautiful tracks on the album, a cover of George Harrison's original, and it features some gorgeous acoustic instrumentals featuring ukelele, mandolin, lap steel guitar and a double bass. The sound is incredible in this track, and Nelson does a magnificent job of expressing the emotion in this song with his sweet vocals. (Dare I even say that I prefer this version over Harrison's original).



"Every Minute of the Day" is one of the most interesting, and captivating songs on the album, whether it be the complex chord progressions, the sweet harmonies and contra vocal additions, or the classical feel due to the arrangement. I swear I hear some Mozart-like phrasings in the instrumentals, especially in the latter part of the song. The harpsichord, strings, and trumpet enhance this song beautifully. And if that isn't enough, the song has a very interesting rhythm pattern to it, pulling the listener into the song even more!



Another jewel on this album is "Death of Caroline". It opens with some beautiful layered vocal harmonies of the chorus... then the verses take you into the story of Caroline. The perspective lies at a point where he has finally gotten over her, and although we don't really know if the death is literal, it possibly could serve as a metaphor for the hurt suffered as a result of a breakup. Musically this song has some wonderful chord progressions, as rich harmony vocals are interwoven, smooth as silk, through a soulful melody. All of these elements combined make for a brilliant sound.



These are but a few of the amazing songs on this wonderful album, and my writing doesn't nearly do justice to fully describe the beautiful music that Nelson has created. The bottom-line is that this album is a must-have for anyone who appreciates lush harmonies, soulful melodies, and beautiful instrumentals. You simply must hear it for yourself. It is undoubtedly the best album I have heard in a long, long time.



~ Laurie Biagini"

Great Pop Music!!

Gregory Boone | Pickerington, OH | 03/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although the first thing that you hear when you put Nelson Bragg's debut album Day Into Night into your player are jangly guitars, it's the gorgeous harmony vocals that sustain this album.



The ubiquitous Bragg has obviously learned a lot from his years performing in what is quite possibly the finest touring band ever put together, the Brian Wilson Band. He has also spent years performing with and in various other bands, including Cloud Eleven, The Mockers, The Now People, and The Quarter After. He puts all of these lessons to good use in his new record.



Nelson plays most of the acoustic guitar, which forms the backbone of most of the songs, as well as drums and percussion, and the vast majority of the lead and harmony vocals. He is ably assisted by Quarter After cohorts Dominic and Rob Campanella, The Wondermints' Nick Walusko, and Cloud Eleven mastermind Rick Gallego, who contributes both his gorgeous vocals and some tasty pedal steel guitar to several of the tracks. Fellow Brian Wilson Band member Probyn Gregory also adds horns to two tracks, including "Every Minute Of The Day", a soft, sad song that also features harpsichord, recorder, and some of the album's loveliest harmonies. Gregory also contributes Jimmy Webb-like horn parts to "Lived This Life Too Long".



Standout tracks are abundant and include The Byrds-influenced opening track, "Forever Days", featuring the above-mentioned jangly electric guitars, "Death Of Caroline", a song whose vocal arrangements ought to make Mr. Wilson proud, and the album's closer, "Turn The Darkness Into Gold", a string drenched stunner that features CSN-like harmony vocals courtesy of Bragg and Gallego.



The bar for great pop music has always been set by "The Killer B's", that holy trinity consisting of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. If he keeps producing music this consistently good, we may need to someday add Bragg to that list.







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