Houston-based guitarist-songwriter Brandon Stanley releases his indie CD project Something for Nothing, a sampling of southern-fried rock mixed with worshipful ballads. Although the first track "Alright" is anything but, the next track, "Immerse Me" has a mildly catchy hook with a John Elefante feel and an honest, raw passion. Even with a quirky rhythmic gaffe in the second line of the lyrics, it is the highlight of the album.
Surrounded by skilled musicians, Stanley performs all lead vocals in addition to acoustic and electric guitar work on the seven songs, which were all penned by him. Stanley tends to flow in a narrow range musically, but fans of the Dave Matthews Band and Kansas will find some similarities here. There are nice guitar solos throughout and some shining moments of vocal harmony, but the project as a whole seems to lack energy.
All told, there is hope that future projects from this aspiring artist will be "ready for prime time" as well as lengthier. At only 27 minutes, Something for Nothing is more of an EP than a full album project, and despite Stanley's best efforts, it falls short of the mark. Nevertheless, the closing worship song "Your Will and Your Way" has some redeeming qualities.
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