Anybody following Callum Brown’s career so far will want to pick up Yore. This is his debut solo album, and it is a good sign of things to come. This album showcases the skills of Brown in a number of ways. First, his drumming skills are obviously on full display. Second, his ability to incorporate the different styles of his vocalists into his music. Third, his ability to maintain a singular sound while also keeping each track distinct.
Brown started out as a drummer for a number of different bands, including Ulrika Spacek and Mint Field. Working with these bands has given him the skills he needs to branch out on his own. It’s no surprise that his drums feature on all the tracks. They can be very prominent, as in Sally Out or Hawing, or less so, as in Shade or Zig Zag.
The basic set up is drums, guitars, and vocals. Brown might add more, as in Open Lights, or pare everything back on another track like Shade. He then uses the vocalists and other guests to create something unique on each track, while keeping changes minimal. Even the vocal styles remain similar between vocalists.
The album has a relaxed and open feel, one to listen to if you want to settle down of an evening. It starts out nice and slow and quiet, builds up to a peak with Sol, and then dies back down to quietness with Fever Dreams. This dynamic is done perfectly, although the downside is that there’s no one single stand out track.
Brown has managed to make an enjoyable, cohesive album out of a range of collaborations. Will he continue in his pop/trance mash-up, or will he move into another genre? It will be interesting to hear what he does next.