Wandering Toddlers is the solo project for Justin Brown. The Californian native can be found playing shows around town and recently released Royal Flush. This album to my ears is very straightforward Americana style rock reminiscent of The Allman Brothers Band, Black Crowes and other like-minded bands.
“Don't Know Her Name” is the opener and the type of song that sounds good on a Friday night at a bar. There’s a festive nature to it and it feels very familiar if you are a fan of the genre. “Annie Oakley” is more classic Americana that embraces the criteria that defines the genre from the lyrics to the melodies. Steve Miller Band came to mind. Great song. “Tea Party Hangover” is one of the more chill and relaxed songs. The vibe is very relaxing. “Miss Violet Anne” was a change in genre. There’s a much more jazz influenced vibe on this song. This is the type of song you might hear at a piano bar. The mixing was also noticeable better on this song. “Royal Flush” goes back in Americana mode while “Rayne’ is a warm ballad featuring some sweet laptop steel guitar. “That's Jack” flirts with more jazz and I enjoyed the standup bass and harmonica on this song. “Pink Toenails” is very upbeat and celebratory. Brown closes with an intimate song entitled “Oceans Apart.” My main critique was the recording quality. As an engineer myself I felt there was a number of things that could be done to improve the fidelity of the mixes. For instance, there were some frequencies around 400hz and 700hz which could be cut to create separation. Brown wears his influences on his sleeve but the songwriting was solid. The delivery was consistent throughout and showcased the bands technical and creative chops. I think fans of the aforementioned genres should enjoy this one. Take a listen.
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