You have to admire
Stephen Brodsky's diversity. People who know
Brodsky for his work as
Cave In's lead singer or his freelance bass playing for
Converge associate him with alternative metal, but as a solo artist he has favored a totally different approach. In fact, there is nothing even remotely alt-metal about
Here's to the Future, an alternative pop/rock and indie rock effort with a strong psychedelic influence.
Brodsky the solo artist has made no secret of his love of
the Beatles, and
the Fab Four's post-1965 output is a major inspiration on
Here's to the Future.
Brodsky sounds like he has been spending a lot of time listening to
Magical Mystery Tour,
the White Album, and
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -- that is,
the Beatles at their most psychedelic rather than the power pop
Beatles of
A Hard Day's Night. And yet,
Here's to the Future is far from a carbon copy of
the Beatles' psychedelic material; the eccentricity on this 2010 release also owes something to artists ranging from early-'70s
David Bowie to lo-fi rockers of the '90s and 2000s.
Here's to the Future favors a very hazy production style, which works well with
Brodsky's psychedelic leanings. When this 38-minute CD is playing, it's hard to believe that this is the same
Stephen Brodsky who has been embracing alt-metal with
Cave In. Of course,
Brodsky isn't the only artist who has eclectic tastes; for example, the same
Athan Maroulis who has performed industrial rock and darkwave with
Spahn Ranch has also performed as a romantic jazz crooner with his '40s-flavored project
the Blue Dahlia. But if
Brodsky's eclecticism doesn't make him unique, it certainly makes him broadminded. Anyone who can perform alt-metal convincingly and sound equally convincing when he performs psychedelic-influenced alternative pop/rock deserves credit -- and
Brodsky is definitely convincing on
Here's to the Future.