"THE LOSING HAND"

2012
-by Greg Smith & The Broken English
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter/neurohormone. The release of dopamine in our brains feels great...just a rush of happy, warm feeling. Dopamine rushes can be triggered by food, sex, and drugs. You knew that, you say? Okay smartypants, science has also just established that music can trigger the same dopaminic reaction as the aforementioned experiences. Hm. Sex, drugs, rock n' roll. It's all dopamine to me, ma! The mildly disturbing thing in this revelation is that people who have a deep passion for music may only be compensating for a lack of dopaminic activity in other parts of their life. Hm. Well, i don't do drugs, and the less said about my sex life, the better. Christ, i've been outed. Can't i just enjoy my music in peace??
What does any of this have to do with the EP this article purports to be reviewing? Just this. If you sit down with THE LOSING HAND, prepare yourself for one lovely dopamine bath. The EP belies the notion that music needs a chamber orchestra and seven synthesizers to be lush and layered. It's at times sparsh and lush simultaneously, which makes no sense at all, but there it is. Greg's voice is rough and warm, and the instrumentation is superb...finding this kind of balance eludes so many artists. This NY band is a current IMA award nominee, in the story song category. I haven't heard them live, something i plan to rectify.
"Spare Me Eliza"
A tale of growth and loss. Eliza (vocals by Dayna Gross) answers Greg's Johnny, from the ruins of love gone dry. But the music is too powerful to be reduced to sadness. It transports you to a place where your eyes close and you can feel it resonate, long after the song is done.
"Losing Hand"
A strolling, boozy lament. I have trouble keeping my percussive hands still when i'm enjoying a song (which is fine at home, but borders on being distracting at a live venue). If you have that problem too, stay away from this one. The hooks are irresistable.
"Hey What's the Use" - A track that's almost too real to be enjoyable, a poetic conversation between a lonely singer in a big city and his mom back on the farm. If you like a little starkness and desperation, this one's for you. The music appropriately takes a back seat to the lyric for a while, but in the final section of the song you can feel the musician's passion go from words to the music that sustains his soul - and it's beautiful, with powerful mother harmonies from Dayna.
"Livin' Like a Joker"
Layered, marching, hypnotic, a perfect song to go mindless to. A much-extended version at a bonfire drum circle would be so nice.
"Ain't That Bad, Just Bein' Sad"
A wistful song with a strange message.
"Wanderin' Soul"
An existentially nihilistic song that even makes ME want to drink. I think Greg wrote this so that the bar owners he plays for would be happy, as patrons call for another round to dull the pain. Very sneaky.
http://www.thebrokenenglish.com/