Eight months in the making is “Never Giving Up”, the newest recording from singer and songwriter Brett Vogel. I always have said that musicians should take their time when making new music; there is no need to rush the creative songwriting process. The end result is well worth the wait. That is exactly what Brett Vogel has done with his new record. Brett took plenty of time to tour after releasing his debut, as he traveled across the country; he met new people and formed new relationships and memories.
Born and raised in Illinois, Brett realized as a teen the great talent he possesses as a singer. Before long he picked up guitar. His aforementioned debut album, which is called “Lonely Traveler” received tremendous praise and resulted in Brett winning him a couple of awards at the Rockford Area Music Award (RAMI) for Best New Artist and Song of the Year, for his work on “No Grace in Goodbye”, which featured Jon Miller. Not too bad for a debut record, not too bad at all.
The album begins in a rather lively and enthusiastic as we get started with “When You’re Lonely”. Despite a sad sounding song title, this is quite the opposite. This opener is reminiscent of upbeat rock of the late 60s; however it is modern and fresh. This is our first peek at Brett’s vocals, which tend to be very high pitched. While this isn’t a singing style that I’m typically attracted to, I do admire the talent it takes to hit those notes.
The title track is next and highlights more of a nod to pop than any of the other songs. It’s no less energetic than the opener was, however this is less rock based and more modern. For those who enjoy soul on a regular basis, you may notice some of that in Brett’s voice artistically blended in.
“Two Times the Killer” makes up for the previous track, in terms of rhythm. Brett is channeling his inner rock star and lays the attitude on thick. “California Take Me Away” is a soft rock jam with more mellow touches to it. “Crazy about a girl” and “All of the other” lean more towards country and folk. Each song holds its own identity, which really helps the album flow.
Overall, “Never Giving Up” proves itself to be a very good pop recording. Of course it’s not perfect, but no one should expect a sophomore record to be groundbreaking and I find it to be rather accessible. Brett Vogel shines brightly as he allows true emotion to reflect in his expressive voice, as the falsetto help to show just how incredible his range really is. There also is enough variety to entice almost anyone who desires to seek out genuine, true music. Brett offers his fans a nice variety of elements that range from 60s and 70s soft rock to familiar sounds from the 90s, comparable to Matchbox Twenty. I’m more than certain that Brett Vogel will continue to see success from “Never Giving Up”. This is highly recommended for fans of Mumford and Sons and Dave Matthews Band.
Purchase Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/never-giving-up-single/id969367129
URL: http://brettvogelmusic.com/
7/10 Stars
Melissa Grubbs
