Vocalist Bruce Brown's "DEATH OF EXPERTISE"

Bruce Brown – a resident of Wellington, New Zealand for over 20 years – showcases his ongoing mastery of songcraft like never before on his fourth album DEATH OF EXPERTISE. Infused with Brown’s trademark wit, wisdom, incisive social commentary and poignant reflections on his life and the ever-challenging world around him, the 14 song collection features his soft-hearted, low key Chet Baker-esque vocals weaving colorful original narratives over the brisk, joyful swing and graceful moods of an ensemble of Australian and American musicians he has known and played with for years. “Great lyrics have the capacity to get inside and tweak the heart," Brown says. “In putting together the set list, I asked myself one simple question: ‘Are they seaworthy?’ They’re a combination of what I was feeling in those moments – good, bad and indifferent – about things that I went through and that people go through every day.” Also intrinsic to the songcraft on the album is the marriage between music and lyrics. The deceptively simple harmony is the perfect architecture for the songs, which allows the emotional impact of the lyric to be conveyed more effectively. The listener is surprised by the juxtaposition of the beautiful harmonies and sometimes funny, sometimes challenging, but always thought-provoking lyrics. DEATH OF EXPERTISE bears repeated listening to catch all of Brown’s artful nuances.