Review of John Brennan album "Bring It On Back To Me" from Rootstime!

John Brennan is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter from Collingswood, New Jersey, near the Delaware River bridge, in one of the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. John mainly performs in the Tri-state area (NY/PA/DE), both solo and as the frontman of his own blues band. His repertoire and musical style are deeply rooted in the blues, combining rock, country, roots music, and rockabilly. John grew up influenced by Muddy Waters and B.B. King to Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and CCR.

On his 2024 EP, ‘One Way Ride’, John Brennan was completely "blue," blending Windy City, West Coast, and more into a flavorful azure stew as a distinct one-man band. ‘BRING IT ON BACK TO ME’ (2025) is the follow-up. The 10 tracks on the tracklist are (as usual) a mix of original work and covers. "Junkyard Blues" and the title track, two original songs that open the album, feature impressive bottleneck slide guitar. The slide guitar is also dominant on "It Hurts Me Too." This eight-bar blues classic not only inspired Tampa Red, who first recorded the song in 1940, but also Elmore James and many others who followed. After the mellow "You'll Get Yours Someday," J.J. Cale's "Call Me the Breeze"—a song typical of the "Tulsa Sound"—brings some wind (read: excitement) to the set. "Finally!" I hear some saying/thinking, because the tempo seemed to be stalling.

With "You Shook Me (All Night Long)," John then gives a nod to Willie Dixon, before performing his remaining original songs: "Lonesome Road" and "Ain't Gonna Cry for You No More." The first is live and excellently performed on acoustic guitar, as the closing tracks are two more covers. “Love in Vain,” the Robert Johnson classic that also featured in the songbook of artists like the Rolling Stones, with excellent slide guitar, and “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” the traditional song we know from Big Joe Williams. This traditional blues number from 1935 has also been covered by many artists, including the band Them, who had a hit with it in 1964. The song, recognized as a classic in both blues and rock music, has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Another one of the songs that John Brennan rightly didn't let go unnoticed and that has stayed with him! A TOP version!