Jay Broyer, “The Sound of U”    

The first punchy trumpet notes on Jay Broyer’s debut album, “The Sound of U,” make you expect something along the lines of an old Chicago jazz tune. But once the brass intro finishes and the acoustic guitar and drums join in, it’s clear you’re listening to a modern pop/rock album. The first track, “Midnight,” is anything but complex lyrically, but the competent arrangement makes it sound full and melodic throughout, with guitars and bass backed by crisp snares and intermittent brass chords. The song ends on a happy note, with a saxophone solo and the line “Let’s see what happens when we don’t do what we’re told.”      

The second song, “So Cliché,” shifts to a slower, more contemplative melody that sounds instantly like a ballad from John Mayer or Jack Johnson. It combines acoustic guitar with floating bass lines and a clean electric solo, while singer/guitarist Broyer croons “you’re lookin’ so cliché.” The song fades out with more acoustic chords, promising more music to come.    

Over the next couple of tracks, Broyer manages to keep each song from sounding anything like the last—instrumentally, that is. The subject matter continues with lines like “My heart won’t take chances on dumb-luck romances at all” and “We’re just two hearts holdin’ back,” but the sounds behind these love-struck lines change drastically from song to song. One tune features a huge stadium drum part mixed with orchestral music and piano, ending with a violin solo. The following track has an extended jam laced with organ and vocal harmonies.    

Recorded and produced last February at 6media Studio outside Boston, “The Sound of U” features a host of guest musicians from the Boston area, with Gregg Faucher, Steve Belleville and Mike Null consistent on drums, bass and electric guitar, respectively.     

For a list of upcoming shows or to purchase the CD, visit www.myspace.com/jaybroyer. 

Wicked Automatic, “Brave New Story”    

Wicked Automatic’s Web site shows a picture of a modified New Hampshire slogan that reads “Rock Free or Die.” It seems like a bold statement, yet it’s highly appropriate for the band’s first album, “Brave New Story.” The album is essentially a compilation of heavy rock tunes, one after the other, with the first track, “Easy,” setting the tone for the rest of the CD. With a straight-ahead rock beat and a huge guitar sound dripping with distortion and reverb, the instrumental aspect of the tune sounds a lot like the old Boston hit “Rock & Roll Band,” minus the dueling guitar solos.    

“Brave New Story” then crunches through two more rock anthems headed by vocalist Jonathan Anderson, who has performed in a number of notable bands since the early 1990s, including Big Chicken Dinner, Vin Vitae and Buzz Mingler.
    

Just when the sound begins to seem redundant, Wicked Automatic mixes things up with “Essex Street.”  The blazing guitar intro that characterized the preceding tracks is replaced by a grunge/ska bass line with a matching drum feel. While it probably won’t be the band’s biggest hit, it gives the album some variety and demonstrates its ability to produce a range of sounds. “Brave New Story” finishes off with “Glory,” a song featuring layered guitar lines, plenty of reverb and lyrics that hearken back to the altered New Hampshire slogan. 
    

If you’re looking for some live shows or want to get your hands on the album, check out Wicked Automatic’s Web site at www.myspace.com/wickedautomatic.


Null Hype, “When You’re Dreaming”
    

Null Hype’s debut album, released on January 9, is anything but predictable. Vocals, rhythms and even styles seem to change mid-track, at times. The album kicks off with the title track, “When You’re Dreaming,” and ends with an acoustic version of the same song. The first take almost sounds like a Weezer song, but further attention to the lyrics and vocal harmonies completely dispel that notion. The track ultimately builds to a huge ending, complete with rhythmic electronic beeps reminiscent of a Star Wars film. 
    

Next comes “Watching from Orbit,” a fast-paced tune much heavier than the first and driven by an angry, distorted guitar and a bass line that sounds like something from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song starts loud and ends loud, complete with the little beeps at the end, an effect Null Hype seems to like. 
    

The album then turns quiet and pensive with “Light Years,” a tune with an airy falsetto melody backed by acoustic, fingerpicked guitar. The mournful lyrics end with the line “light years away from you,” and the song closes with a soft guitar harmonic line.
    

The album offers a mix of sounds, from driving, heavy rock to quiet, acoustic melodies, all composed by guitarist and vocalist Daniel Quinlan. The rest of the band is under construction in terms of membership, but the album is available at Bull Moose Music and on Null Hype’s Web site at www.null-hype.com.