It’s taken four years for Brian Moss to release his latest Hanalei album, but it’s apparent that the passing time has only made it richer for all who listen. On One Big Night, the listener is automatically transported back to another time and season, only made better by the honest and poetic songwriting. The intimate feel of this album is overwhelming, but why wouldn’t it be, when Moss recorded the entire thing with an internal laptop microphone?
While all these things are fine and dandy, it comes down to how the album makes me feel. It has an almost — dare I say it — “college” feel to it; something that isn’t bad, but could be improved on. When I say “back to another time,” I really mean early 2000s, which again, isn’t bad, but about half of the songs border on overly familiar similar songs by other artists.
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However, while I may not be in love with all of the songs, I have to give him credit for writing those heart-achingly poetic lyrics. In “The Eighth Nerve,” Moss sings so perfectly, “All the dashing young lovers swooning in the bar light/professionally complacent, smiling through the restaurant windows/ They inspired shamed jealousy and the weakness in spite/festered in the jaws of the quietest rage.” I mean, come on! The entire album is one beautifully constructed story. If anything, Brian Moss is an engaging lyricist, and I would listen to One Big Night in its entirety to hear it.
“Neverending Cigarette” is a simple, stripped-down song that borders on the Kings of Convenience line. His carefully treading vocals (which pull the song together so completely) mixed with an urgently cried-out chorus makes a memorable and repeat worthy track. It was this song, which I’ve listened to well over six times while writing, that hooked me to the album. Another stand out on One Big Night is “Into The Black.” Maybe it’s the harmonized “la la las,” which I seem to always be a fan of, or maybe it’s the vocal depth. Either way, it’s a great way to end the Hanalei experience. I think it’s safe to say, this guy has some serious talent that will only get better with time.
(Brick Gun Records, c/o Brady Rice, 539 Baker St., San Francisco, CA 94117)