Brian Byrne Tuesdays, Thursdays, and If It Rains... Release Date : May 9, 2006. Label: Kindling. Rating: Respectable. (Screw points. To each his own!) This is wild. Last year, I went to Canadian Music Week in Toronto. One of the shows I went to, which included I-can't-not-dance band The Marble Index, and a band called Shaker that everyone I know in TO had been on my back to check out for yonks, also had Brian Byrne as part of the bill. Now, I was an I Mother Earth fan back in my early radio-rock days, but being a few years removed from that and just plain out of context/not expecting it, the name merely sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't place it immediately. When I walked into the room though, Byrne was on stage, and still it took me a second - I had to go close - and then I simply couldn't believe it. There was that formerly acrobatic energetic rock star who fronted IME with scatterred, intense aplomb, only he was wearing a western shirt, playing an acoustic guitar, and by god, he was crooning! Now a year later, his album has landed in my hands. This is wild. Still bedecked (of course) in perhaps more ink covering his arms than I can remember, still possessing that raspy and somewhat strained voice, Byrne has done a complete 180 on his sound. Yes yes, in IME he was more of a hired gun coming into an established rock fold, but it's still a pretty stunning thing. Two songs in, the album seems a bit weak, but we'll see how it goes on. The songs are good, but they just seem fairly safe. I think this might be another one of those settle-down-in-love-get-happy desaturations, the likes of which we've seen with everyone from Stabbing Westward to Richard Ashcroft. Again, they're good, but just a bit weak. I'm waiting for something particularly grabby or unique. "Far From Good" picks it up a number of notches - we might be on the way to something neat here. Bluesy with a finger-snapping roll to the tune, I'm sitting here bopping my head and I don't honestly believe I've been given much choice in the matter. "Sweet Love" seems a bit on the poppy/corny side however. Almost gospelly. But damn does Byrne ever have a great set of pipes. "Nova Dashboard" is a last dance at the saloon. Song of choice : "Paper Girl" is also a bit corny but I really like it. Powerful voice, neat flow to the words. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Brian Byrne website Published : January, 2007.