The sequel to his acclaimed debut
07/20/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Brannan Lane, Nashville resident and citizen-of-the-global-musical-village, returns to his roots on Caribbean Dream II: Dreaming Again, the sequel to his acclaimed debut, Caribbean Dream. Once again, this multi-faceted and extremely talented (and humble)
musician delivers the goods: smooth tropical ambience, cyber-sultry island rhythms, and
warm sunny melodies wafting in like gentle ocean breezes. Also much like his debut,
Brannan mixes up tempos, moods, and textures, ranging from Richard Bone-like tropical
lounge-jazz (the opening track, "Congo Island") to mysterious and haunting ambient
pieces ("Sea Yourself" and its somewhat tribal reprise, "Sea Yourself Too") to
island-flavored rhythm-fests ("Until Then [jungle mix]" or the reggae-tinged "Island Hop"
and "Reggae Knights"). The album also includes a new version of the track "Caribbean
Sea" from the first Caribbean Dream release. Brannan even honors us with his first
outright vocal tune, the album closer "Thinkin' Mon." As you can infer from the track's
title, this is the most outright reggae number on the album, and what can I tell ya - I've
spoken to Brannan on the phone and I sure as hell don't recognize his voice on this song!
I'm not going to tell you he's got Bob Marley's pipes, of course. But what the hell - the
guy is having a blast on this cut (that's not hard to tell) and ya just gotta get in the swing
of it, mon!
Merely as a caveat to those of you who detest nature sounds, they are abundant on this
fine album (especially birdsong and waves, as you'd expect, along with some nocturnal
insects). Myself, I love environmental textures on CDs like this one. For me, they add just
the right amount of "being there."
I raved about the original Caribbean Dream when it came out, and I'm even more
enthusiastic about this follow-up. Brannan's recording abilities (from a technical
standpoint) have grown exponentially with each releaser. Engineering is flawless,
percussion is expertly recorded and mixed, and his control over his array of keyboards has
never sounded better. The first Caribbean Dream was a lot of fun but also a little on the
"not-quite-ripe" side. Now that Brannan Lane has matured and "aged," much like fine
wine, the musical "flavors" are more complex and more satisfying. Not that this CD isn't
still all about havin' a great time. That it is for sure. So, if you're looking for music that
brings to mind lazing on the beach, sipping on a cold beverage perhaps (heaven forbid it's
alcoholic in nature, of course), and listening to the sounds of waves and wildlife, this here
album will serve as your round-trip ticket to the Islands, mon. Now, take off those shoes
and stay awhile - no worries here! -- Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1