Dennis Brennan – Iodine In The Wine

I have three friends who have yet to steer me wrong (at least with music). All are Boston-to-Nashville transplants, so when they each sang praises of Bostonian Dennis Brennan, I listened. They were right, again: Brennan’s new Upstart disc mixes Motown, Buck Owens and the Rolling Stones in a way that’s reminiscent of early GP (Graham Parker, that is).

Iodine In The Wine is mature, well-crafted, spiritual, cynical, and hopeful. On “Pill of Love”, Brennan states that “It’s in the air, it’s everywhere, it’s for sale and it stinks,” stating that Harold Arlen, Harlan Howard, Partridge, Porter and King all took the pill, but it doesn’t mean he will. The title cut questions who spoiled the party, who took away the American dream, “Who put the iodine in the wine?” This dreamy, bluesy, cut is prime pickings for a major release.

I played “Blue Sky, Red Song” right after hearing a John Mellancamp song on the radio, and it fit — except it was stronger, rocked harder, was more of a “man of the people” song, and had more depth. “Youngstown” is a rocking trucker tune that wouldn’t be out of place on any collection of truck-drivin’ songs. “The Worried Man” is almost traditional country, with a fiddle, a paint-bucket guitar rhythm and a comfortable, front-porch feel. “Call Your Rider” could be a wonderful bluegrass song, with its solo trading at the end. My favorite is the closing track, “River Rise Up”, a simple song with Biblical images, a Muscle Shoals-style horn section and mountain revival vocals from Brennan and his band.

Brennan’s last fine effort, Jack In The Pulpit, was largely ignored. Iodine In The Wine is too strong an album for that fate.