Artist:     Brandon Isaak

Album:     Rise 'N' Shine

Label:     Self-released

Release Date:     10.26.2018

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Brandon Isaak is a talented singer/musician/songwriter who showcases a beautiful, bluesy, velvet-ensconced voice, as well as impressive instrumental prowess on Rise ‘N’ Shine’, an interesting mix of blues, jazz, funk, and soul. The album demonstrates a range and variety that, unfortunately, prevents the album from forming much of an identity. Isaak is, in essence, in a challenging position because of his versatility.

Isaak, a native of northwestern Canada, has crafted an album with a generous 13 original tracks. His smooth voice is the constant. He deftly takes on a number of genres, injecting them with energy, but not always with passion or abandon. A song like “Lose the Blues,” very similar to the American standard “San Francisco Bay Blues” is flawless, but lacks a tension that might translate as excitement. This could be a symptom of the production, which is fairly quiet.

Many of the songs do have swagger, though. “PhD in the Blues” is a soul blues with some licks that might have made BB King jealous. The lyrics, about blues as an educational credential, could come off as silly if Isaak didn’t sell them so well. “Me and the Blues” is Isaak’s take on acoustic country blues, but one that features an unexpected jazzy finish.

Isaak doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. His performances on Rise ‘N’ Shine are all impeccably constructed. He leaves nothing to chance, which makes for a quality album, but also one that lacks a certain sense of drama.

—Steven Ovadia