ALBUM REVIEW: BROOKE LAW - NAKED HEART

When Brooke Law announced that her debut album would be called "Naked Heart", I'm not sure many people would have expected her to go quite so heavy on the heart aspect, which sits centre stage on the album cover in quite graphic detail. The reality in fact is that the word "Naked" in regards to this collection of songs, is more about being open and honest, where heart is an embodiment of the performer herself, caring for others, wanting real emotions of love in a world that is becoming ever superficial. This is a collection of singles that have been released over the last year, along with some that have sat in Brooke's set lists for a while, along with new material coming together to make one coherent statement. It showcases Brooke's undoubted talents that #TEAMw21 have been shouting about since our very first encounter at a Pizza Express Songwriters Round.

The album opens with "Naked Heart (Intro)", a short 60 second palette cleanser, a fragment of a song with a prominent guitar sound, and soft back beat. It catches Brooke at her most ethereal and sets the scene for what is to come.

"Dressed the part, covered but stripped at the core"

Opening things proper is "Real", a song that seemed a little far fetched on its inception, now seems remarkably prescient given that nearly one in six folk in the UK has now has created an AI perfect partner! As a single it came with quite possibly our favourite cover picture of the year, with Brooke's eyes closed, as she is about to lock lips with a dummy head, lovingly held in her hand. The song itself delivers with about three different sounds, one acoustic, one with a kick ass driving guitar and finally a synthy, trippy bridge section.

The opening is one of the acoustic parts of the song with just Brooke and her acoustic guitar, there is a faint keyboard just smoothing out the overall sound. Seemingly starting the day in style - her vocals only halfheartedly paint the idyllic world she is describing.

"Waking up to the golden sun, and the colours rushing in

And you're feeling so high

Perfect house and a perfect job

Nothing is ever wrong and the days are flying by"

It is a modern day utopia but a Stepford Wives one - It's enough to raise Brooke's hackles and her vocals suddenly take on a passion as she gives vent to her frustrations.

"But isn't it boring when there's no surprises?

And I don't feel alive and you do nothing for me

And I can't live a lie"

The band start to kick in, initially restrained, the percussion urgent, but more rhythmic tapping than pulsing back beat. The electric guitar jabs like a boxer testing his way in an early round, waiting to unleash a flurry of blows - that opportunity soon comes with the chorus!

"I want the world to seem real where people fall in love and mess it up again

Beg borrow steal, nothings good enough but we try our best

We're only human we're not robots, no-one owns us

How'd you feel if no one really loved you for real"

The essence of Brooke's thesis, is that love never runs smoothly, the odd friction is bound to arise and that is what make it seem so vital and real. By now the guitar is firing out power riffs, the drum sound has moved from tapping to pounding.

The second verse replaces stale mundanity of the opening one, with the things that make relationships special

"Staying out and it's going off, living in the moment, out of our heads" -

Brooke extends the final word over many syllables and as she finishes the guitar kicks in and accentuates it further.

"Doing things you'd never done, leaving your heart open in a beautiful mess"

In the trippy bridge section Brooke declares

"Make mistakes - I was born this way"

 before making one final plea

"Please don't throw it away"

That "Excuse Me" is on the album at all, is something that #TEAMw21 can take some credit for. For whatever reason Brooke had fallen out of love with it when compared to her newer material. For this little gem that proudly wears its early 90's influences on its sleeve, we had to assure Brooke that it was too good to go to waste. It opens to a subdued electric guitar and Brooke's vocal has a fed up, wearyness about it echoing the lyrics.

"You've always got a reason why

Tell me what it is this time?

Is your phone still on charge?

Did you lock the keys in your car?

All the little lies you sell

You even believe yourself

You keep telling me this, telling me that

That same old, same old excuses"

The chorus is the breaking point and Brooke audibly snaps as both band and singer vent their frustrations

"Well "Excuse Me" if I say how it how it is

"Excuse Me" but it is my business

And sue me if I don't want to hear

Your excuses, excuses

Well "Excuse Me" while I leave"

The second verse, may have the sound of the first but the attitude born out of the chorus prevails and Brooke is most certainly in the driving seat.

"You can act like I've never seen

You belong on the silver screen

But it's your cue to go

It's the end of the show

You can riddle me this, riddle me that

But I'll tell you what the truth is"

The bridge raises the sound bar a little higher as Brooke once more nails down the situation

"If I leave you to keep selling your lies

Fool me once, fool me twice

Oops you did it again

Here's the taste of your medicine

I'm gonna leave you standing out in the rain

Gonna miss your calls, again and again and again

Cos you've only got yourself to blame"

It is undoubtedly quoting real past events, they seem too specific, and the production perfectly accentuates Brooke's calmer delivery giving the song a certain vulnerability in the opening verse, while making the latter ones all the more of a glorious victory. It is almost worth buying the album for this track alone it is that well constructed!

Possibly in a masterstroke of sequencing on the album the next track is "Flying Solo", exalting the joys of being single once more

"I've got my suitcase, packed my heartbreak

Got the fast train, to my Mama

For the love she gives to me

It took me so long, to know what I want, it was all wrong

Now I finally know how it feels to breathe

All my friends they said it seems that somethings up

They told me I should try to listen to my gut"

The chorus is that freedom given voice

"Now we're here and it's so clear

Running downhill from the start

Flying solo without a fear

I'm on the edge with my heart

I didn't see it coming

Now I see angels calling"

There's a guitar solo out of which Brooke declares

"I know I will forget you

Right now, regret you now

You had all of me naked

My love is sacred now

Go on break it, break it, break it

I know that I'm gong to make it!

It's uplifting, positive with Brooke singing her heart out.

 "Big World" came with a cover showing Brooke with arms raised to the skies with her head tilted back as if in some state of euphoria. As striking as the cover was, it was the contents within that really grabbed the attention, with a real focus on simplicity and clarity paying dividends on both recording and the subsequent video.

Starting with just an acoustic guitar, Brooke takes us into new territory, with an almost spiritual style delivery in the opening verse. It is stirring in the way that normally only gospel music can grab you. There's an insistent tone in those early lines as Brooke seeks to bring a sense of calmness. Also there a nice touch in the final line where Brooke's delivery echoes the lyric she is singing by becoming louder

"Close your eyes - just try to listen

Can you hear the noise

Of the hype?

Any good reason

You can raise you voice"

The performance is heartfelt, there are no distractions, the video even has Brooke following her own advice and closing her eyes for the opening line

"So much to lose, so much to prove

What would you say if they

Weren't going to judge you?"

The chorus is Brooke addressing a lot of the perils of modern life, particularly in terms of social media and saying that it is okay and liberating just to occasionally switch off the noise. It could as well easily apply to the aftermath following a stressful busy day at work and encourages looking after your personal mental health.

"This is a Big World and you are a big girl now

What would they say if you took time off

But it's okay to switch your mind off

This is a Big World and you are a big girl now

Maybe the day is just a write off

Know it's okay to turn the light off"

The second verse sees the gradual build up of instrumentation, nothing too intrusive at first, a little bit of percussion and bass.

"The door is closed, take off your troubles

Fold them on the chair

No-one knows, no-one to bother

Leave you wolves out there"

The lyrical lead into the second chorus slightly changes, where a guitar will add to the overall building volume

"So much to lose, so much to prove

What would you say

If you knew they couldn't touch you?"

The second chorus ends with Brooke finding a marvellous extended note, she is able to do it again in the most restrained way on the bridge which has Brooke once more offering encouragement

"Don't be afraid of what you're made of

Don't let them take what you've created

They, they can wait"

The final chorus sees the full ensemble come together

Ending off the back of another stunning chorus Brooke leaves us with more sage advice just "Close your eyes".

"Spiritual" comes with lots of little London references and a trip to the Isle Of Wight!, "The Spiritual" is a bar in Camden in Ferdinand Street, it's name allows for a suitably trippy chorus, and some quirky overall sounds on this tale of coincidental meetings.

A song that really shows Brooke's versatility is "Start It Again", a tender acoustic number where the only real backing is one guitar. There is some faint atmospherics to take off the rawness of the sound but it is mainly driven by Brooke's vocals which match the honesty of the words being expressed

"I've been lying, I told you that I'm trying

I just need some time, One day I'll be flying"

Wonderfully restrained, it shows Brooke at her most honest and open, getting her message across without even raising her voice

The Jack Trouble production on "Villain" does a great job capturing the "INXS" clipped guitar sound on the verses before letting things rock free on the chorus. This is a definitive parting of the ways song, it tells of someone hurt once too often, pushed to and beyond breaking point. and severely mistreated. The opening verse ends with a direct confrontation.

"You shot me down too many times

And I let it pass me by, losing my mind

Yes I did mind

You played around and kept fooling out

Where were you last night and in the morning

When I was calling?"

The chorus is no time for sitting around moping, it is a sassy reinvigoration, that sees Brooke rise like a phoenix from the flames, vowing not to return to old ways and instead finding herself emboldened by what she has been through.

"I'm done with the Villain - farewell and good riddance

I've given you my years, you've stolen all my tears

I'm done with the Villain, now I see no limits

I've got a thicker skin, I'm free from all your sins"

The chorus finishes with a primeval celebratory elongated rocking "Heyheyhey"

With the blinkers off Brooke is free to see how badly she was treated

"It's all a blur, how you tangled words

How you got your way, How'd I miss it?

How you were twisted"

"Cowboy Hat" is probably the lightest track on the album, co written with Savannah Gardner who provides additional lead vocals, it's a song of curious infatuation, driven by a fascination of what lies underneath said hat. It's carried through by the sheer enthusiasm of the performers, who clearly had a lot of fun recording it.

Brooke takes the opening verse and paints a mysterious colourful character, big on image, low on small talk

"Walking round with that stuck on smile,

Like you've got something to prove

Your bolo tie sits just right

To fill your vintage suit"

Savannah steps on for the second verse, adding some sultry tones and a wonderfully niche reference for anyone outside North West London to ponder on.

"The neon light are shining through in the back room of the Duke's

Music's blazing, and my heart is racing, I want to dance with you"

"If You Go" shows Brooke's real ear for a cracking rock chorus, the volume may be slightly muted to give it more of a pop appeal however ramp up that guitar sound and it would not be out of place sitting next to Green Day. It's a chorus that demands your attention.

"If you go , I'll go, any high and any down low

Wait up, wait down, you're the only one I want now"

Here at #TEAMw21 we always felt that "Bad Tattoo" got something of a bad deal and primarily the blame for this must lie at Brookes door! At live shows her open question to the audience of "Does anyone have a bad tattoo?" was like a rallying call for anyone that had drunk to much to feel the need to show their obscene, hilariously funny when drunk, body art which was normally placed somewhere best not exposed. By the time order was restored and the song was played you'd forgotten what it was about and yet it so much more that than anything ink related!!!

Opening to an intense electric strum, this song is made by Brooke's phrasing, as she has to generate the melody at this stage.

"It's the little things that mess up my head

Make me want to scream and go back to bed

You tell me to dress up and wear something nice tonight

But what's wrong with a T Shirt and a bottle of wine?

And you wake me up at three AM

To tell me the same old dream again

Cos it's never about me but I'm always thinking of you

I wish you could see all the little things I do"

It carries the same frustrations of "Excuse Me" and has an equally rocking chorus of which the "Tattoo" element is relatively minor in the scheme of things, the key line precedes it "The damage you do", no relationship needs the word damage attached to it.

""If you only knew the damage you do

Cos what you say can cut so deep

Yeah you, the damage you do

Is stuck on me like a "Bad Tattoo"

If you, if you, if only you knew"

The second verse paints another powerful picture and it is not pretty.

"It's embarrassing when you put me down

I feel like I'm on my own roundabout

Going round in circles, it makes my head spin

This ain't working, I don't know what you think"

The bridge is incredibly powerful, the band drops back and in the first half there is a pained frustrated delivery while for the second half, frustrations boil over, as Brooke outlines the only way this relationship can work

"If you, If you could see me

You wouldn't make art with poison ink

If you if you could be with me

How about you don't say a thing?"

The last line is further enhanced by a little almost on the telephone backing vocal that says "Or why don't you just shut the....." it's left hanging but we know what the next words would be.

"Freak On" came with a suitably psychedelic cover featuring Brooke's locks catching the light perfectly, covering one eye, while the other stared out of the picture with the smallest white dot capturing the flash.

When played live, there is an anthem like atmosphere created with Brooke and her audience waving arms in sync. It is this feeling that Brooke and her producer Michael Stockwell have sought to recreate on this second Ben Earle co write on the album.

Starting a capella, Brooke sets out her manifesto

"I don't care about your style

Your vibe, your clothes

I don't care if you're living clean

Or if you get stoned,

I'm a freak, you're a freak, so "Freak On"

The verse is then repeated, second time round after the merest hint of guitar, it is sung to a powerful back beat - nothing else, just Brooke and the relentless percussive pounding of a drum kit.

The next verse sees a grungy guitar properly join the fray, it's a tribute to living life as an individual not conforming to the expectations of others.

"I don't need a label telling me, where I belong

I don't need a self help book telling me where I'm going wrong

I'm all right, you're all right, right on

I'm a freak, you're a freak, so "Freak On"

The chorus sees things rhythmically move into gear, the sound is a sonic explosion

"Love is a messed up circus

The world is a bowl of a goldfish

We're all freaks in a freak show

We love and we hope for loving

There's somebody out there laughing

We're all a punchline of a joke

I'm all right, you're all right, right on

I'm a freak, you're a freak, so "Freak On"

A psychedelic Beatle-esque blend of guitars and drums follow before Brooke returns to sing some refrains over a brooding strumming electric guitar

"Just keep freaking on

One and one is one

Just keep freaking on with me

There's time for two more takes on the chorus with Brooke running wild on the backing vocals as the instrumentation gets the freedom to make as much noise as possible - it makes for a hugely enjoyable mix. Personally #TEAMw21 would have happily let Brooke carry on playing in an extended "Hey Jude" style, six minute epic, however sadly at just under four minutes, the song and indeed "Naked Heart" comes to an end.

It's a collection of songs that truly represent the singer, even when things are a little darker and maybe not going so well Brooke is ready to share her experiences with the listener. This is where the "Naked Heart" is really exposed with real feelings and emotions on show throughout on a highly successful debut album.