Check out this review from Blues Blast Magazine of the new John Brennan album "Bring It On Back To Me"

John Brennan is a singer, guitarist and songwriter from Collingswood, New Jersey, which is right outside of Philadelphia. He plays all instruments on this album.  He lists his influences as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Elmore James, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker. He grew up in a house where everyone in his family from Grandmother, uncle and father played guitar making it inevitable that he would also pick up the instrument. This is his second release on Guitar One records following his 2024 EP, One Way Ride. 

The album features five original songs and five covers, seven of which were recorded in John’s home studio and three which were recorded in a live performance at Jamey’s House of Music in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. On the opening track, “Junkyard Blues” he says he is “going to walk through the junkyard to search for my old guitar”. His slide guitar establishes his blues direction. The title song rocks out as he tells her “You told me that our love was true. Hey baby, bring it on back to me. You been gone so long and left me in misery”. The first cover is Elmore James “It Hurts Me Too”, which is given the proper inflection with his slide guitar and vocals.

“You’ll Get Yours Someday” has a light rock & roll line as he tells her “Tell me that you want me…tell me a lie and you will get yours someday”. He provides a striking cover of J.J. Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze” next and he follows that with a live cover of Willie Dixon’s “You Shook Me”.  His original “Lonesome Road” is also a live recording of a song he first released as a single in 2021. He cries “Going down the road all by myself. Baby, you left me for somebody else”.

“Ain’t Gonna Cry for You No More” is an all-out rocker as he dismisses her with “It’s been days, weeks, and months since we both said our goodbyes. You said you would try again, but I know that is a lie”. He shifts back to another Robert Johnson cover with a live performance of “Love in Vain”. He then finishes with a strong version of Muddy Waters’ “Baby Please Don’t Go”.

The covers on the album are all respectful, well-played renditions of the originals. He intersperses his original songs with the covers in a way that they blend together. The live songs display his capability to capably deliver his songs outside of a studio.