Originally published in
The Aquarian Weekly
May 14, 2008
Brian Fitzpatrick And
The Band of Brothers
Worse For Wear
Independent
If I said that Brian
Fitzpatrick is the
best kept secret in New
Jersey, you might
get the wrong idea.
Hell, he might get
the wrong idea. What I
mean is that Brian,
who has a large and loyal
following,
deserves an even bigger
audience. His
2004 release Further
Down the Line
was one of that yearÕs
best albums, and
Worse For Wear, despite the title, does
not disappoint.
If youÕre looking for
bombast, or political
attitude, look
elsewhere. But if you can
appreciate simple,
heartfelt, and expertly
crafted songs played by
a very talented
band, and sung in BrianÕs
appealing,
husky tenor voice, this
album is for you.
ÒCarrie With the Broken
HeartÓ tells the
tale of finding artistic
and emotional
connection at a Jersey
open mic night.
The closing ÒHey MaryÓ
employs what
sounds like a choir of
friends on a chorus
that will have you
singing along.
Do yourself a favor. Now
that youÕre in
on the secret, spread
the word. Brian
plays around the area
all the time. In fact,
heÕll be at Sullivan
Hall in New York City
for his CD release party
on May 23.You
can pick up a copy of Worse
For Wear
at the gigs, or through
iTunes,
Amazon.com, or CD Baby.
In A Word:
Plainspoken
Grade: B+
—by Ken Shane