Back in 1999 Brian Joseph was a successful young Los Angeles based actor, but that year he left it behind to follow a career as a singer/songwriter; this album is his third release and one that certainly looks likely to earn him wider recognition.
‘King of Echo Park’ is a wonderful singer/songwriter disc; musically intelligent and varied, it has lyrics that connect with the listener in many different ways, and there’s a confidence and accessibility to the disc that will draw you in from the first run through – it’s the rare combination of these elements that make the disc stand out from the crowd.
Much of the immediacy comes from the vocals, he has a rich, smooth and laid back delivery, and throughout much of the disc he sings in harmony with Melanie Hersch, their voices work together and compliment each other perfectly, and the interaction between them creates some beautiful passages – the last few verses of ‘Cal’s Chevy’ are stunning and provide just one of the many memorable examples of the two singing together.
While a fairly straight-forward singer/songwriter in his lyrical approach, there’s a refreshing confidence and swagger throughout the disc – from the use of a saxophone and trumpet to provide a subtle horn section on ‘Walk on Alvarado’ & ‘What’s That Sound’, to the detailed finger-picking guitar of ‘Louise’ he always picks the appropriate instrumentation and arrangement for each song.
There are many excellent tracks here, ‘Cal’s Chevy’ is ultimately optimistic love song celebrating the ‘what we have we hold’ approach to life, it’s perfectly performed and sung and is a stunning track; ‘Walking on Alvarado’ provides the most obvious ear-candy on the disc, it’s a song that celebrates his home town of LA and has a great hook and a laid back atmosphere; and ‘Louise’ is a perfect acoustic singer/songwriter piece, excellent guitar work and strong lyrics that make the listener look a little closer.
‘King of Echo Park’ is an excellent album; the songs are strong and are intelligently constructed and performed while the whole collection is relaxed, unpretentious and full of individuality – highly recommended. 

£13.49