Edmonton based musician Brandon Baker plays it safe on Tragic Lover, the new album by his Electric Religious project. His songs are a perfect for AOR radio stations and the classic rock ones that are looking for something fresh to air besides the usual suspects. He throws in a few funk and power pop licks every now and then, something he should explore a bit more in order to show off his guitar skills and bring his tone even more upfront. The album's sole ballad, Hard Skin, could become a cash cow, as a dead ringer for inclusion in romcom soundtracks.
Baker is a gifted lyricist, with the '80s synth-driven rocker Paralyzed as the stand-out track, but his rough-around-the-edges wordplay gets a bit lost in the overcrowded arrangements. Scaling it down a bit and going for a rawer sound would fit him better. Less John Mayer, more Steve Ray Vaughn like he does in Earth & Sky. Naming his project after a famous Hendrix quote - "When I get up on stage, that’s my whole life. That’s my religion. My music is electric church music. I am electric religion" - is a brave statement, but in doing go he has to live up the expectations.
Brandon Baker: vocals, guitars
Reid Thiel: bass
Luke Breiteneder: drums
Brad Simons & Brandon Baker: keyboards
Olivia Street, Aubrey Young, Brad Simons: backup vocals
Tragic Lover is a self-released album. Buy it from their website.
Tracks:- Catherine
- One More Night
- Hard Skin
- Paralyzed
- Earth & Sky
- Halfbreed
- Fading on the Vine
