Graham Brown Band
Give & Take (Stomp)

To certain old-timers at least, the name Graham Brown brings to mind such Anglo-blues pioneers as Graham Bond and Savoy Brown; the sonic association is not entirely spurious. Although the Glasgow-born, Edmonton-raised Vancouverite also recalls later U.K. bands like the Clash and Squeeze, there’s a strong blues-based, English Invasion feel to much of this bracingly unpretentious music.

After stints with Alberta bands Brilliant Orange and Jr. Gone Wild, Brown has released records under his own name since 1998. Like Hiwatt of three years ago, the new CD features the Telecaster-slinging singer’s originals performed with able help from bassist John Werner, drummer Mark Gruft, and Rob Blackburn on keyboards and guitars. Brown and Blackburn engage in some attractive twin-axe harmonies on “By My Side” and other upbeat tunes, while the latter’s B-3 organ groove on “Honey Road” hews closer to the Brit-boogie beat, and the acoustic-based closer ,“Trestle Track”, goes for Big Bill Broonzy basics.

Brown—who plays an album-release party at Chapel Arts on Friday (November 7)—seems most relaxed in folk-rocky numbers like “Trouble” and the tremolo-laden “Superfix”. Like everything on Give & Take, these tunes are instantly catchy but hard to remember. There’s a workmanlike quality to the song construction and to Brown’s occasionally pitch-challenged singing, leaving a sense that while his live-on-the-floor grooves (cleanly recorded by engineer Dave Meszaros) score major points for being fashion-free and rhythmically solid, just a tad more craft would give them that extra something to take away.