Spotlight On...Chuck Brimer
The following column will appear in the February 2007 edition of Gaston Alive:
As someone who prides themselves on having the pulse of the local music scene, I have to admit I dropped the ball somewhere along the way. North Carolina native Chuck Brimer has been writing and playing tunes for quite a while now. Now if I can only figure out what time machine and decade this guy came from, I'll feel better about myself.
Brimer's latest record I'm Gonna Be Your Hero offers thirteen songs that sound to be inspired by music recorded from the 1950s through the 1980s. Brimer creates music grounded in the past, yet sounds timeless in the year 2007.
Brimer's music can not be summed up in one word or phrase. Once you think you have figured the answer out, he changes the questions on the next song. Is he rockabilly or honky-tonk? Is a tender balladeer or a rock ‘n roller?
One thing I do know is that Brimer writes pop music - - but not just any pop music. I call it smart pop. Writing smart pop music takes a lot of skill. It goes way beyond finding a catchy hook. Brimer finds a way to weave intelligent well-crafted lyrics into his melodies and instrumentations to create infectious catchy tunes that you'll be humming long after you are finished listening to his record.
However, the bottom line is that this is a fun record. Brimer won't leave you feeling down. With all of the negative news floating around each day, we all need a record that will pick us up after a bad day. Brimer has created that kind of record. And that in itself makes Chuck Brimer my hero.--
More information and samples of Chuck Brimer's music can be found on his website at www.chuckbrimer.com.
