Paul Brill - Sisters EP

Sisters features just four musicians. The results have been magnificent; in simple beauty the music has become even more serene, somber and comforting.

Miss Siena Jones is a tired woman; the bright city lights she once dreamed would blanket her night sky had deceived her. They left her with a bitter taste in her mouth, and so jaded and discouraged, she packed her big city dreams and moved away to a place called serenity. Once treading on glass ceilings and boardroom bureaucracy, she now works at the local grocers, splitting her time between cash registers and the typewriter she hopes will someday share her story.

On lazy Sundays when the only thing that seems to move are hands on a clock, she spends the afternoon tucked away, eyes closed with this Paul Brill CD in her stereo. She has a million stories in her head; tales of debauchery, scandal and laughter synonymous with her previous life. But when she’s alone on these Sundays, there is a certain calming. The voice that escapes her speakers does her soul wonders. The serenade of Brill’s voice layered on top of the somber guitar work of tracks like “Basement Song” and “Whiskey Gone” lets her bask in the serenity she craves. The piano filled “Hazel Eyes” is like a falling leaf outside her door; comfortable, simple, but filled layers of instrumental luminosity and depth. It is this simplicity that has turned her life around – like Paul Brill himself, who on this EP has taken a more minimalist approach. From the multi-member milkweed band that adorned his Halve the Light album, Sisters features just four musicians. The results have been magnificent; in simple beauty the music has become even more serene, somber and comforting.

For Siena Jones, the music of Paul Brill has given her solace in her time of need. The old station wagon that made the trip with her sits comfortably in her driveway but seems to have found its final resting place. The post country heartache that permeates from this record has found its way into Siena’s heart. She knows that while she no longer revels in the bright lights, she can close her eyes on a Sunday afternoon and let this heartfelt record bring a smile to her face.

(Scarlet Shame Records)