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

Artist: John Brennan

Album: Bring It On Back To Me

Released: 2025

Website: https://www.johnbrennansounds.com/

John Brennan is a New Jersey native and man of the real blues. "Bring It On Back To Me" is his second release on the Guitar One Records imprint. It is a ten song set of classic blues and early rock and roll tracks. Brennan is a clear and unapologetic throwback in time. It seems he found music in the mid 50's and stopped somewhere around 1961. His recordings are simple and direct to the point, leaving the fluff at the door for the more modern minded artists.

Track one, Junkyard Blues is a cross between 50's rock and roll and early Fogerty compositions with a healthy dose of blues sauce dripped all over it. It has as much Howlin 'Wolf in it as it does CCR. His slide tone on the solo is spot on and his use of tremolo on the amp keeps the late 50's vibe at the forefront. Structurally the song is a straight blues cut, but it has enough classic rock and roll leanings that it's worth mentioning the influence. There is still enough blues here that it won't disappoint even the strictest traditionalist.

Brennan seems to have a real affinity for covering Elmore James classics and knocking the proverbial ball out of the park on them. On his last release he did a fantastic version of Shake Your Moneymaker. On this record the cover of the  standard It Hurts Me Too is on the same level. Part of the appeal is his ability to get the production vibe right. It's not over thought, but just executed flawlessly. The reverb is time appropropriate and the slide solo is exactly what it needs to be in all of its beautiful simplicity! 

Another cover, Baby,Please Don't Go is a standout. Again, the slide tone and playing are perfect. His guitar tone sounds like a Fender that is being driven to that sweet spot of break up that guitarists have been seeking for decades. Brennan's ability to interpret the standards in a tasteful manner, while still putting his own finger print on them is his greatest strength. He doesn't over extend vocally, but stays in his comfort zone delivering a convincing performance that isn't pretending to be someone he isn't.

This record is a delightful mix of classic covers, live cuts and originals. The covers are done with conviction, paying respect with his interpretations of the music, versus reinventing what didn't need to be reinvented. His performances all feel relaxed and unforced. Brennan seems to be a music conservationist, and he serves that role quite well. I suspect his musical tastes checked out of pop culture leanings before the British Invasion took place. Fans of the classic blues sounds of Elmore James and early rock and roll will enjoy this album for its simple beauty and tip of the hat to the sound of yester-year!

Check out the interview below....

Tell us the brief history of your band or musical career.

I started playing guitar when I was about 14 years old. I already knew a few chords from my

Dad showing me. My Dad played guitar and he had a guitar chord book that I used to look at.

My cousin had already been playing guitar for a few years around this time and he would also

show me chords. It was The Beatles who inspired me to learn to play. My Dad played The

Beatles a lot and I always liked them but it wasn’t until I was around 14 that I started to take in

their music and listen to it deeply. In the beginning I just wanted to learn to play as many Beatles

songs as I could. I was listening to a lot of their early stuff and noticed that they covered a bunch

of 1950’s rock songs originally done by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and others.

Then I got into Fifties rock music and I remember reading about their influences and it turned

out to be blues musicians such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker,

and so many others. That’s how I got into the blues. Then I started buying up a bunch of blues

CD’s and I really listened. I learned how to play blues guitar mainly by ear and reading tab. It

took me a little while to build up the confidence to play in front of people and by the time I was

about 18 or 19 I started playing at coffee house open mics. Then over the years I played in

different bands, especially blues bands but like many bands they didn’t last so I ended up

playing solo. I ended up being able to play for a living for about six years now. I now have three

releases under my belt. I just released my first full length album Bring It On Back To Me which

I’m really proud of. It has ten new songs with five originals and five covers. They were all

recorded at my home studio except for three of the songs which were recorded live during a

show I did at Jamey’s House of Music in Lansdowne, PA. The owner and sound engineer

Jamey Reilly recorded them. This is my second release through Guitar One Records.

Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

My main influences are blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Elmore James,

B.B King, John Lee Hooker and so many others. I’m also influenced by classic rock and older

rock and roll artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Creedence

Clearwater Revival, and The Allman Brothers. I also like some country artists including Chris

Stapleton, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams.

I can’t think of any non-musical influences, honestly.

What’s your favorite accomplishment as a musician thus far?

Getting signed to Guitar One Records. I never thought I would ever get signed to a label. I

always dreamed that it would happen and it did thankfully! Also getting my previous album One

Way Ride reviewed in the blues magazine Living Blues is a big accomplishment! Lee

Zimmerman was kind enough to review it. Living Blues is a magazine that I’ve been reading

since I first got into the blues when I was a teenager so being reviewed in it is such a big deal

for me!

Tell me about your favorite performance in your career.

That would have to be my performance at Jamey’s House of Music in Lansdowne, PA last

September. I’ve always wanted to play there! It’s an amazing place and the sound system is

fantastic! Jamey Reilly who’s the owner does the sound and does an amazing job! I shared the

bill with Gary Cogdell who’s a great blues musician from Delaware. I had just released my

previous album One Way Ride a few months prior to the show so I played all of the songs in my

set. There’s a video of the show on my YouTube channel www.youtube.com/johnbrennanmusic.

Three of the songs that I played that night are included on my new album Bring It On Back To

Me. They are Muddy Waters’ “You Shook Me”, my original “Lonesome Road”, and Robert

Johnson’s “Love In Vain”.

What made you want to play the instrument you play?

I think the guitar chose me haha. My Dad played it, my cousin plays it, my great uncle and my

Grandmother’s uncle played the guitar. So I guess I was bound to pick it up.

How does your latest album differ from any of your others in the past?

It’s longer with ten songs whereas my previous two albums were E.P.s

Are there any musicians who inspire you that are not famous? What qualities do you

admire about them?

Yes there are. Shakey Lyman and Mikey Junior are both from the Philadelphia Blues scene and

they both have influenced me greatly. Mikey hosts an open blues jam at a place called The

Twisted Tail in South Philadelphia. I’ve learned a lot by playing with him at the jam including how

to lead a band and how to engage with the crowd. He’s an amazing singer and harmonica

player and he really knows how to work the crowd. Shakey Lyman is also great at engaging with

the crowd and has amazing stage presence. He sings, plays slide guitar, and harmonica. I also

play slide guitar and I’ve learned some things by playing with him including what string gauges

to use and how to play certain chords in open tuning. We do some duo gigs together and I

always have a great time playing with him!

Give us some advice for new musicians just starting out in the industry.

Practice, practice, practice! Be patient but also persistent. Hard work does pay off.

What do you like most about your new album?

There’s more guitar work in the songs. The solos are a little longer than in the songs in my

previous albums and I tried to make the extended solos more interesting to hear. I also play the

slide in standard tuning in my song “You’ll Get Yours Someday” during the solo. I’ve been

playing slide in standard tuning quite a bit lately during my live shows so I don’t have to bring a

second guitar and I think that I’ve gotten better at it. It’s a little trickier than playing in open

tuning but I’m happy with how it came out. Also the CD which will be released in early June

comes in a four panel wallet package so there’s more artwork and photos. Katrina Stephanie G.

Millado did the photography and it came out great!

What artists do you enjoy listening to nowadays?

I mainly still listen to the same artists that I did when I was a teenager but I’ve been discovering

some older blues artists that I never heard of before. There’s a lot of great newer blues artists

too like Samantha Fish and Chris “Kingfish” Ingram and from the local Philadelphia Blues scene

like Slim and the Perkolaters and Mikey Junior.

How do you promote your band and shows?

Mainly through Facebook and Instagram. My Facebook page is

www.facebook.com/johnbrennanmusic and my Instagram is www.instagram.com/jb.guitar

Anything you would like to share, from new merch to upcoming shows/tours or

songs/albums?

My new album Bring It On Back To Me is available to purchase on CD. You can get your copy

by visiting my online store through my website www.johnbrennansounds.com

What is the best way to stay updated on current news; gigs, releases, etc.

The best way is to visit my website at www.johnbrennansounds.com or through my artist page

on the Guitar One Records website at www.guitaronerecords.com/johnbrennan

Anything Else You Would Like to Include?

If you’re reading this and you’re from the PA/NJ/DE Tri state area be sure to visit my website

www.johnbrennansounds.com where I have my full schedule of upcoming shows posted. I play

at different local places such as bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and music venues. My

website is also where you’ll find links to stream and purchase my music along with videos and

photos. I have some great stuff planned ahead so stay tuned!