Brian John McBrearty’s recorded output isn’t without its share of zig-zagging. The 44-year-old Philadelphia native released three albums between 2015 and 2020 – Things I Recall, The Tremolo Tapes, and Fourth Avenue – that embraced guitar-based experimental instrumental music, recorded at home with the earnest spirit of improvisation and experimentalism, making up for the lack of a proper studio. These unique, inventive albums were followed by 2022’s Beginning Again, a thoughtful collection of full-band indie folk with vocals that fall between Fleet Foxes and Richard Thompson. Now, with Remembering Repeating, McBrearty is moving back to a more experimental style, but markedly different than his earlier releases.
On Remembering Repeating, Brian John McBrearty plays synthesizers and bass and is joined by Matt Douglas on saxophones, clarinet, and flute and Ryan Jewell on drums and percussion. The sound is somewhat akin to the warm, ambient tones of spiritual jazz—partially due to Douglas’ presence but also to the healthy presence of drones and the long, sustained, meditative notes that permeate the songs.
The warm tones, enhanced by touches of percussion and Douglas’ sax runs, beautifully usher in the opening track, “Remembering”, and when a steady beat and a slightly more traditional jazz feel takes over at the song’s halfway mark. It’s not a jarring segue; it gently and logically introduces the song’s next section. A funkier element is introduced in “Repeating”, which features chunky bass lines from New York-based musician Sunk Coast. The loping, mid-tempo beat, some lovely two-saxophone interplay, and slightly busier synths indicate a desire to bring more complexity to the track, but the presence of a lush calm is never too far away.
While the heavy presence of McBrearty’s synths gives a more experimental, futuristic sound to tracks like “Unfolding”, Douglas’ participation keeps things on a decidedly jazz-oriented path. “Believing” splits the difference, with McBrearty’s widescreen psychedelic synth washes meshing perfectly with Douglas’ soloing and Jewell’s gentle, brushed drumming. The mystery and light tension of “Floating” comes across as a sort of mantra, a long, sustained set piece that brings to mind both Coltranes (John and Alice) at their most deeply spiritual.
Closing the album is “Receiving”, which includes lovely, meditative vocalizing from McBrearty, warm organ notes, and a gentle yet deeply felt coda featuring Douglas and Jewell playing off each other with dazzling intensity. With Remembering Repeating, Brian John McBrearty, ably assisted by some stellar fellow musicians, has begun another artistic chapter with beauty, grace, and passion.