With a streamlined stage name and guitar in hand, Sunjay
Brayne ups his ante in the world of studio recorded music in the form of this
effortlessly arranged ten track collection of songs spanning the world of folk
and Americana music. Singer-guitarist Sunjay has gone down the simplistic route
when naming this new album, a follow up to 2013’s live release ONE NIGHT ONLY,
and each offering carves out its own niche. Several familiar songs ring fence
the album simply titled SUNJAY but they far from diminish the excellent guitar
skills and developing vocals which glow with maturity.
Having seen Sunjay play short sets several times in his role
of Stourbridge Folk Club host, he rarely plays down his passion to explore and
interpret the blues. However that particular style is toned down a touch on
this album with the biggest nod to it being his version of the popular old
blues number ‘Drop Down Mama’ which brings
his pickin’ skills to the fore early in the album. Sunjay definitely has one
eye across the ocean when it comes to song selection and there is no finer
choice on the record than a superb take on John Hiatt’s cracking tune ‘Memphis in the Meantime’. Alternatively,
closer to home influence and guidance is always at hand as former Bushbury
Mountain Daredevil founder member and local Stourbridge publican/music organiser Eddy
Morton has produced the album and provided the opening song ‘London Road’, a traditional feeling
social commentary number sure to be a winner in folk clubs up and down the
land.
Recorded under license to and in the studio of New Mountain
Music, Sunjay has collaborated with a number of artists of which the most
familiar to current gig goers are likely to be Dan Walsh on banjo and Kat
Gilmore on fiddle and background vocals. Both have been guests of Sunjay at his
club nights and were no doubt honoured to play their part on this entertaining
and gifted record. Likewise Sunjay has paid his respects to some iconic songwriters
with complementary versions of the James Taylor standard ‘Close Your Eyes’ and the much covered ‘You Don’t Mess Around with Jim’. It doesn’t take too much effort to
sit back and enjoy Mark Knopfler’s tale of pioneering Americans in ‘Sailing to Philadelphia’, a song interpreted
with consummate ease by Sunjay.
The Tom Rush penned ‘No
Regrets’ taken to the upper reaches of the charts by the Walker Brothers
needs little introduction and a further delve into American folk sees Sunjay
deliver a stompin’ a cappella version of ‘A
Folk Singer Earns Every Dime’ complete with a couple of subtle twenty first
century references. Sunjay explores the American songbook a little further back
in time with his arrangement of the traditional standard ‘Sittin’ on Top of the World’, recorded by many over the years
including Doc Watson. On an album that is equally as pleasurable to explore the
song origins as to enjoy Sunjay’s renditions, the educational process is
completed by tracing ‘Going Down the Road’
to the pen of yet another American folk singer in Mary McCaslin.
The dates Sunjay has arranged to promote this self-titled
album are extensive and the opportunity to hear so many fine songs under the
spell of this talented performer is one not to be missed. Grab yourself a copy
of the album as well and stretch your mind into the vast vault of inspirational
song; arranged, sung and presented in a faultless style.