Daimon Brunton Never Again Such Beauty CD

By 1994, John had completed a handful of successful original instrumental compositions, which he combined with recordings and sequences of some of his favorite piano pieces into a compilation entitled 'Eight Years, Off And On' (referring to the fact that it took eight years of recording after school and during summer vacations to complete the project). In 1997, hitting his stride with instrumental electronic compositions, he completed his first full-length CD of original electronic music, 'Fox Island Afternoon'.

To borrow my mother's lament on how quickly I used to go through a pair of shoes, I'd have to say Stovetop "wears his guitar hard." His energetic strumming, often overlaid with fancy, melodic finger work, squeezes every bit of volume and verve from his instrument. At a recent performance, he started out with a borrowed guitar after breaking a string on his own during the sound check . . . and then broke another string early in his set.

Endless gusto can be a bit much in a show if there's no counterpoint of quieter numbers. At times Stovetop is a little, well, over the top. Even so, many of his tunes adopt a bolero style that starts quiet and slow and gradually rises in intensity and speed, finishing with repetitive, driving rhythmic lines. And his sheer enthusiasm for his developing craft begs indulgence. Add to this his boyish pink cheeks and mop of unruly hair, and you'll find it easy to root for Stovetop as a Tom Sawyer- meets-Richie Havens character.

His vocal style is equally earnest. The first thing you'll likely notice is a tendency to bleat out notes, rather like a lamb or gurgling brook. I'm not talking vibrato here, just a singing style that seems to bubble forth uncontrollably. He can also draw out a single vowel, changing its shape several times on his way to whisper-singing the end of the word.

By alternating vocal lines with complicated guitar refrains - and the occasional pregnant pause of surprising silence - he creates a well-balanced sound for a solo performer. He also looks comfortable with himself all alone on stage. But he does have a tendency to sing with his head thrown back too often, as if howling at the moon.

The CD is remarkably diverse in style. Classic rock, Southern rock, Funk, and alternative rock genres are well represented, and the CD moves from track to track with energy, heart and surprise.