Recorded last year, there’d be no way New 2 the Brain could’ve predicted the odd shapes that the race for the presidential election has taken. Yet here is the mysteriously named vocalist/producer Wa and songwriter Lawrence Stoller describing “Politics Un Usual,” which aptly mirrors the confusion of voters caught between the excitement of promised changes and the comfort of experience. “The race is on/Going nowhere fast/The parade marches by/But what’s gonna last?” Wa sings as the track continues to dip into caustic commentary. Probably what’s most effective about “Politics Un Usual,” lyrically speaking, is that it doesn’t take the side of either liberal or conservative; it seems to have distrust of both parties and the campaign machines in general. With its funky bass and Steely Dan-ish vocals, “Politics Un Usual” is no stale CNN soundbite; it has a punchy groove with a Beatles-esque appreciation for dramatic tempo shifts.

New 2 the Brain are named perfectly. They do not resemble much of today’s alternative acts. They glue pieces of Peter Gabriel-ish English pop, world music, Genesis-styled progressive rock, and Steely Dan’s sleek jazzy rhythms and give birth to a quirky yet accessible sound that is totally their own. “We’re All in This Together” and “Born Naked” are the catchiest tunes here and will probably taste the sweetest initially for unenlightened listeners. But it’s New 2 the Brain’s more ambitious tracks that’ll eventually floor them.
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*Note: this review was written while the project was still entitled “Beating Hearts”.  The band’s name has been altered in this review to reflect the new title “New 2 the Brain”.

Chances are, [New 2 the Brain] might puzzle you at first; the group’s fusion of Beatlesque pop (the colorfully layered and experimental later years, not the early days of bar-band innocence); Pink Floyd-ish prog rock (the sonic moodiness of the Roget Waters period with the soaring, atmospheric hooks of David Gilmore’s reign); and Peter Gabriel-fueled worldbeat is a lot to absorb on initial listen.   But it’s also a richly rewarding emotional and intellectual experience, the kind of album that you keep returning to, hoping to find the answer to life’s mysteries.

Once To the Middle of What Matters becomes as familiar as a best friend, the duo’s vision becomes apparent.  [New 2 the Brain] aren’t taking the easy way out.  What they’re doing is incorporating diverse musical elements into a classic pop structure and making them flow seamlessly.  Kids, don’t try this at home.  The evocative title track triggers the senses into overdrive, unreeling a soundtrack score over a punchy AOR vocal.  It’s easy to imagine the influence of Gabriel’s So album here, but [New 2 the Brain] are more subtle.  While rock groups have been absorbing jazz elements for decades, [New 2 the Brain] does it more in spirit.  “We’re All In This Together” and “Something’s Terribly Right” (a clever play on words) capture the easygoing vibe of jazz with its freewheeling, breezy attitude completely intact.  In that regard, [New 2 the Brain] have pulled off what many prog acts fail to do and that is weave in jazz spices without making them white and sterile.

[New 2 the Brain] is  band with heart, soul, and intellect, and neither of them dominate.  Instead, they throw their resources together and jam.  We can learn from that.  The message here is that we need to stop fussing around and get down.

Kyrby Raines, Shotgun Reviews
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*Note: this review was written while the project was still entitled “Beating Hearts”.  The band’s name has been altered in this review to reflect the new title “New 2 the Brain”.


If Tears for Fears developed a fixation for Steely Dan’s velvety smooth jazz textures, they probably wouldn’t sound too different than [New 2 the Brain].  Ah, but this duo comprised of Grammy-nominated producer and musician Warren Dennis Kahn and artist Lawrence Stoller sinks its teeth much more deeply than such easy comparisons.  This is an impeccable partnership, a selfless give-and-take chemistry that bridges art and commerce.  Kahn and Stoller have created a world of wonders, using their imaginations to probe the limits of pop.

Pop?

Yes, pop- but not in the modern sense of the word when pop often defines cookie-cutter radio fodder.  Kahn and Stoller collaborate like master sculptors, each shaping his own mark.  Listen to the mesmerizing “We’re All in This Together” as cinematic hooks stitch together  poignant narrative which seems to be a conversation between man and the Earth itself.  “I’m tired of me versus you/Cause we’re really just one,” the Earth explains to man, seeking a truce.  In other words, the Earth is saying, don’t blame me if you can’t pollute your air and water anymore; treat me well, and we all live.

[“To the Middle of What Matters”] opens with atmospheric smooth jazz recalling Stin’s “Nothing Like the Sun” album albeit with Peter Gabriel-esque vocal flavors.  The Gabriel influence doesn’t end there; “Fresh Philosophy” and “Born Naked” have an immaculate sheen similar to Gabriel’s finest moments, especially in his landmark “So” LP from 1986.  

[New 2 the Brain] have a definite ‘80s feel sometimes, especially on “Fresh Philosophy” with its Howard Jones-like synthetic melodies.  But there is  warmth here that stretches back to the ‘60s, too, mainly the incandescent glow of late ‘60s Beatles.  Although the record has an uplifting feel overall, the group isn’t afraid to toy with darker tones as on “Beating Hearts”.

But it’s the craftsmanship here that’ll make you swoon and keep this record in the disc changer for months.

Adam Harrington
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