BRENT ENMAN – Wildman

Shane | 3 September 2012 | Reply

2012
7.5/10

By Shane Pinnegar

Brent “Wildman” Enman knows how to rock – real, honest, blue collar, hard edged rock n’ roll is his stock in trade and on “Wildman” he delivers time and time again.

Performed as a hard rockin’ four piece – with Enman playing every role (and the cover proudly proclaiming that no drum loops or session players stepped in to help) – this album draws comparisons with a bluesier early Bon Jovi, a harder rocking Journey or Toto or even Mellancamp or Springsteen, and has a lot of similarity in sound and style to Jac Dalton’s recent release “Icarus”. Dalton himself originally hailed from North Carolina, Enman’s home base – coincidence, perhaps.

Whether exhorting a love for hard edged rock n’ roll as on opener All For The Show and closer Never Too Old To Rock n Roll, or for passion and love itself (Takin’ Home, If I Die Tomorrow), he is nothing less than sincere, heartfelt and energetic.

For the most part Enman avoids the trap common to self playing every track, in that he maintains a high energy level and keeps the sparks flying (even if it’s off his alternate selves!), but I can’t help but wonder how good this album would be played live with a full band.

That’s a minor point – and one that misses the achievement in front of us – “Wildman” is a great melodic rock album, full of catchy, interesting songs, thoughtful lyrics and very good performances.

Hear What I’m Saying carries with it a Molly Hatchet/ barroom blues vibe that was tailor made for a good-time Saturday night, Sweeping Up Rainbows is AOR enough to have been a hit when radio cared (and is tailor made for a remake for the next Muppets movie – just sayin’!), and Man Of The Past is a tender love song to an older, simpler time.

It’s a protest song that I keep coming back to though – a pleading, eloquent statement about the appalling economics of greed and what they’ve done to America (and rest assured we are suffering exactly the same fate in Australia, and it’s easy to sing transposing the country names!) in I Lost My American Dream. The song is nothing fancy – a beguiling melody, and a brave statement on the ever-widening gap between the rich and the middle and poorer classes. Enough is enough, and Enman hits the nail on the head with this song.

In short – “Wildman” is a good hard rock album that should be requisite listening at your next summer barbeque.

http://www.brentenman.com

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