David Brake "SPIN AROUND" ©2006 Westerland Records Review by Lucky Boyd It took four years to get the sophomore release from David Brake, but it was worth the wait. "SPIN AROUND" elevates Brake (and That Damn Band) to another level. Brake's writing is as solid as ever and his performances are a testament to a maturation of his entire experiential world. This is a live album with cuts recorded at three different locations but the engineering is such that you'll get that studio feel throughout the disc. Brake was truly captured in these recordings and you'll enjoy each cut as if you were right there at the taping. Brake's voice is superstar quality in range and dynamic. On top of great poignant songs, Brake has some comic gems like "Ugly People" and the tongue-in-cheek "Ignorant Hicks." David Brake and That Damn Band are a foursome of dedicated musicians who have a real future. Fellow MTM member Jeff Duncan holds his own perfectly with fiddle, bass, and vocal work. Chuck Payne and Ronnie Dobbs round out the quartet, making as talented a group as you can find. This album is what happens when country thinking meets rock influences. Aside from being a great group of guys, Brake and the band are on their way to watching their spin count rise. Give a listen and I think you'll agree. Previous notes: David Brake and That Damn Band can liven up any dance hall, saloon, or grand stage. The great country sounds are tempered by a rock influence that make for a true Texas combination. At times, it's the other way around, Brake sneaks a country flair into a rock tune or two. Either way, Texas music fans embrace this multiple-influence connection and David Brake has captured it superbly. Surrounded by great pickers like Scott McGill, Terry Westbrook, and a host of regulars, the 2002 release "LEAN, MEAN TEXAS MACHINE" (Westerland) is real gem. If you've read many of my reviews, and as of this writing there are over 250 of them on this website, you know I don't like to say that an artist 'sounds like' another artist. This time I couldn't resist. If you mixed the Georgia Satellites with The Boss and threw in a Dylan who had never smoked, you would get close to David Brake and That Damn Band. What a fantastic sound! Artistically, the best cut is "Sounds Of The Sacred" on which Brake pulls out all the stops in an epic ballad that will make you a David Brake fan all by itself. David Brake makes my top ten list of songwriters, if for no other reason, using the phrase "…trouble's never boring." He'll make your list, too.