Jay Brown - Beginner Mind (Self-Released)

Folk artist Jay Brown has been performing music the majority of his life, most notably in the band the Lazybirds, which makes the title of his new solo album, Beginner Mind, all the more poignant. As long as he’s been doing it, Brown’s music still sounds likes it’s coming from a fresh mind. His lyrics are earned yet still naive, occasionally angry or just bewildered but never cynical. But whether he writes about his family (“Two Hearts Keeping Time”) or the memories of his youth (“Childhood Friends”), there is a genuine heart and soul to everything he touches.

Unlike the hoards of folkies copying the more direct, overtly political themes of Bob Dylan, Brown’s sound is warmer and more personable like Jackson Browne or Doc Watson. Watson’s influence is especially evident on the careful yet effortless fingerpicking on “Get Your Fill Of Feelin Hungry,” and neither does Brown totally shy away from political overtones. “Fox News (Help Me Jesus)” is hilarious for its title alone, and yet the attack against the right wing television network is so accurate, one would even expect it to come from the mouth of someone completely different like The Dead Milkmen.

One of the highlights here is “Good Old Young Love,” featuring John Mark and Olivia McGaha, the topic of which is just as the title implies and it continues the idea of the album’s title. Brown might be weathered, perhaps even a little weary, but he still approaches everything with a childlike sense of wonder; a less extreme version of Jonathan Richman’s own outlook. Brown’s ambitions and unique viewpoints make for a perfectly endearing and charming album, and it sounds so familiar and inviting, and it may just feel like putting on an old, comfortable pair of shoes. Beginner Mind will be released October 14th.