Rockstars are pretty smug, aren’t they? But the ones that act this way, understood what the job was and just forgot to dial things back down a smidge. Who wants to go see someone lacking confidence sit in front of them, high on a stage? It’d be like the preacher being the one asking for guidance from the flock, or the magician confessing to not knowing if the whole sowing-people-in-half business actually works.
Nah, rockstars are only allowed to show doubt with the supreme confidence of someone who knows that they’re going to find the solution. That’s the attitude that Brian Halloran, future-rockstar with arena-ready songs, brings to his “Disquiet” album. “The world’s, but this next chord might just balance everything out,” is what the collection seems to say.
What good’s a murmur? Who benefits from mumbling accusations under your breath? Turn it up and make it ring out. Album opener “Straw Man” is an anthem for the powerless. Hollaran’s earnest Springsteen-esque composition may sound like the description of a suicide mission. But it’s the songwriter’s promise of doing the right things in spite of the terrible odds that will resonate with listeners.
In fact, if this sounds relatable, it is because Halloran doesn’t present himself as smarter than everyone else. He’s just a little braver than most. On the heartland rock of “Emergency Room,” he sings about facing toxicity. And “Bouncing of the Walls” with its 80s pop-rock-styled hooks is a song about desperately wanting to break out of one’s chains.
Yeah, songwriters don’t earn many friends when they brag about how clever they are. And they don’t earn many fans when they appear rudderless. Brian Halloran creates large-sounding, expansive songs not unlike the music of bands like The Gaslight Anthem or The Menzingers. And just like those bands, Halloran’s lyrics about doubt and distrust are covered in layers of confidently performed rock music.
“Sleepwalkers” mentions the world falling off its axis, but also contains some of Halloran’s most pleasant melodies. The new-wave-tinged “Wayside” is a song about faded glories, but it contains a resonant, keys-heavy sound. And, “I Feel Like I Should Like Your New Band” mocks the disingenuousness of rock musicians while sounding earnest and hopeful.
Where does it leave us? Singing, hopefully! That’s what the singer-songwriter would hope you do, anyway.
Halloran shares your opinion. Yes, the world’s a mess. He also shares your messed-up feelings. But just as The Boss, a clear influence on this set of songs, declared, “It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.” And what else can remind you of that faster than some booming rock music about the aches and joys of it all?
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