Jellycream

Texas guitarslinger Doyle Bramhall II, like his Austin pal and ex-Arc Angels bandmate Charlie Sexton, has had a hard time finding a coherent style that suits his varied talents. Part pop-rock singer-songwriter and part bluesy, Stevie Ray Vaughan-influenced guitar hero, Bramhall tries to have it all with Jellycream. Predictably, the results, much like the Arc Angels single disc, are mixed. A funky pop tune like "Marry You," with its multitracked harmonies and stabbing guitar accents comes on like Lenny Kravitz. That's followed by "Snakecharmer," where the grizzled guitar and lowdown choruses come out of the Fabulous Thunderbirds school of Austin blues rock. Those are the two major stylistic extremes throughout the recording. A gang of pros--including Sexton, keyboardist Mitchell Froom, ex-Stevie Ray Vaughan drummer Chris Layton, and producer Tchad Blak--give the record plenty of chops and sheen, and Bramhall's singing has never been better. Still, if Bramhall wants to create a unique hodgepodge such as he's striving for here, he'll need stronger material. --Robert Baird