Brett Dennan – So Much More

So Much More – Brett Dennan

By Chris Peken

Brett Dennan is instantly recognisable. Not because of his shaggy red hair, nor his headband, high-held guitar or stocky frame. Long before you may even see this 28-year-old late-blooming singer-songwriter you will most likely hear him, and the next thought you will have is that you have heard him before. Yet you have not. I could break it down; it could be his almost female-sounding voice – startlingly like Tracey Chapman, his soulful phrasing, his 70’s folk-rock feel, or his appreciation of African pop a la Dave Mathews. But it’s not. Dennan is very much his own songwriter, without preach he has set up a non-profit organisation that helps other non-profit groups wherever he plays, showing Dennan is able to put his money where his socio-political mouth is. Always cruisey, occasionally too comfortable, more often considerably memorable, So Much More finally gets an Australian release (two years after the US) and offers folk-rock fans considerable hope. Maybe it’s because of all those episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and House’

*** 1/2