"his gorgeous execution proves that the traditional singer/songwriter wheel is far from broken when done right." - Rob van Alstyne

5 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Modern Folk, ROCK: Folk Rock



Details:
Brian Just is a singer songwriter influenced highly by Elliott Smith,Will Oldham, Ramblin Jack Elliott, and Townes Van Zandt. He has been playing in Minneapolis for 7 years as a solo act and also in bands such as Beight, and The Saturday Sun. To hear music from all three of his albums just check out www.brianjust.com



Brian Just: Justify my strum
Wednesday 05 April
by Rob van Alstyne

The Twin Cities have never exactly been in short supply of male singer/songwriters of the low-key acoustic variety. Chances are if you walk into any given corner of the metro area for a cup of java youâll bump up against at least one aspiring Dylan-phile with a CD-R to sell strumming away on stage. By and large these hobbyists make for pleasant background listening and little more, but every now and again a talent separates itself. Brian Just, 24, is one of those talents.

Itâs not that thereâs anything particularly revolutionary about Justâs recently released EP of low-key acoustic folk-rock, Every Tree and Every Stone, but his gorgeous execution proves that the traditional singer/songwriter wheel is far from broken when done right. A talented guitarist with a slightly throaty yet tender tenor, Justâs gently plucked melodies make for the perfectly warming musical balm to guide Twin Cities denizens through the last torturous weeks of seemingly never-ending cold spells.

What the five tracks on Every Tree and Every Stone lack in tempo is more than made up for in melody. Starting things off with a mesmerizing acoustic guitar slide pattern before melting into a flurry of flutes and ambient keyboard squiggles, album opener âThe Pieces We Put Togetherâ is arguably one of the finest folk songs Iâve heard this year. The bells and whistles come courtesy of Jesse Stevens, an unlikely source considering I had previously known Stevens for his work as a drummer in local noise-rock
duo Ova.

The closing track of the EP, âHeaven and Children Blues,â is similarly fleshed out by Stevens but the remaining three cuts are spare acoustic recordings, managing to be made distinct solely by Justâs keen lyrical eye and dexterous playing abilities. Unlike many singer/songwriters, Just is equally likely to crank out a tightly woven series of arpeggios and hammer-ons (as on the choral hook of âDuluthâ) as he is to favor a simple strum (âNever Come Down Againâ). Itâs in this willingness to embrace both simple and intricate acoustic guitar arrangements that Just most strongly echoes one of his songwriting heroes: Elliott Smith.