Perry Brown is not a rock star. He’s a father and a new dad, a friend, a day-jobber, a church-goer, a choir singer, a designer, a maker, a bandleader, a dog lover, a balladeer and a rock-and-roller - a true Renaissance man in the small university city of Troy, Alabama. His band, Fire Mountain - named by Paste as one of the “12 Alabama Bands You Need To Know Now” - released its debut LP All Dies Down in 2014 to fawning critical praise from those who paid attention to this small town band [“Fire Mountain’s "All Dies Down" is my favorite alt-country album I’ve heard in ages.” - Farce The Music; “While standing on its own this album looks back at the heyday of Wilco and Whiskeytown and draws deeply from that well.” - Nine Bullets], an album produced by Birmingham’s venerable Les Nuby. While writing and recording for Fire Mountain’s next record, Perry penned this song cycle that didn’t quite fit with the muscular, alt-country-ish rock of his quintet, and gave birth to this solo project. Perry may not be a rock star, but he shares a trait with those rock stars who touched our souls and our lives - he makes great music, not to make the scene or to make money or make headlines, but because making music is a part of him.
"Become My Blood" is a thoughtful, lovely collection of songs from a mature, accomplished writer and musician. For those familiar with Fire Mountain, the tasteful arrangements, and crafted songwriting will feel familiar, but the themes of recognizing and holding tight to the things that are solid, that truly matter in our lives, reach far beyond the fare of the standard indie rock record. Nuby’s production - and for this project, his contributions as a player - give the record a lush, spacious feel that continually reveals nuance and attention to detail. As with the work of Fire Mountain, the album is a standout that would be worthy of attention in the nation’s most vibrant music scenes, even coming from a collection of Wiregrass musicians who play mostly for themselves and their community.
Norwegian Americana blog Dust to Daylight had this to say about "Become My Blood" which leads us to Perry's ode to quilt-core. "It has lyrics that are thought provoking, and melodies that float away. The entire disc feels like a warm, lovely duvet on a cold winter day."
Brown says about his song "Patchwork" --- "I've lived in the deep South my entire life. Needless to say, a good, family quilt has never been too far away from me. Quilts are often stitched with designs and patterns that represent memories or important things and are passed down through generations. The pace of life is very hectic at times, and I'm guilty of not slowing down and enjoying the milestone moments in life. I wrote "Patchwork" with all of these things in mind. We should really take stock of our lives, the moments and lessons, and leave something great for those that come after us. Also, if you don't want to read too much into it, quilts are just super-warm and comfortable, I think that alone warrants a song."
Become My Blood is available on all digital outlets.
https://perrybrowntroy.bandcamp.com/releases
