Pennan Brae is a singer-songwriter from Vancouver and he enters 2023 with ‘Arcade’, his 13th full-length album, his fifth in two years! The 10 track album was recorded at Blue Light Studio in east Vancouver and is influenced by “the rock & roll of the 70’s and 80’s”

Arcade brings together a multitude of genres from classic rock to AOR to indie and what Pennan has created is something unlike I have heard before.

The guitars are typical classic rock although there are also hints of alternative riffs in there too. The solos are clean and well executed and there is also a slight distortion which only adds to the sound that is being produced.

The drumming is energetic, with crashing cymbals, one minute then gentler and more laid back the next.

Funky bass line gives the album a groovy feel and together the musicianship on the album is top notch, with Edward Whelan joining him on drums and Kaj Falch-Nielsen on bass.

The vocals, provided b y Pennan himself, are somewhat quirky, and his voice is clean yet with a grittiness to it too. He is backed up Alison Jenkins and she provides him with perfect harmonies and melodies.

It is always nice to hear something different from the norm and this album really is quite refreshing. it is upbeat and something that you will definitely dance around to. There are infectious beats all the way through this album and the funkiness of it is great! Definitely an album that could cheer anyone having a bad day up!

The retro sound of this album is also a very strong point, taking you on a nostalgic trip backwards but with a modern twist that keeps each track bang up to date!

I really did like this album. It’s rocky, it’s funky, it’s retro! What more could you possible ask for? And as this is his 13^th album, I am now wondering what the previous twelve sound like!

I’ll meet you in Spotify!

Track Listing:

1) Hold The Line

2) Stage Right

3) Jettison

4) Swing On A Vine

5) Rumble

6) Bon Voyage

7) Sauntering

8) Shrug

9) Ricochet

10) Arrival Time

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum