Album review: JACK BROWNING – Painted Skies

August 13th, 2026 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 16.09.26]

Is this is only the second album from Jack Browning, I feel like I’ve been following this dude for years on Facebook, and the maturity in the songwriting is way beyond a second album. He has been touring for a long time, including Europe and the US, which could explain the dexterity in the song writing. He is also a fine artist, check him out on Facebook, for a portrait of your favourite musician. The cover painting is a self portrait, to bring the point home.

But back to the album, it starts with single, Speak Your Mind, (But Ride A Fast Horse),and the song immediately draws you into the album, if you like alt.country and Americana. If you are a heavy metal freak it won’t draw you in at all. However I’m not a heavy metal freak and I love what I am hearing. The line, ride a fast horse, hit me on first listening. I was thinking what a brilliant random line, and although it’s brilliant it’s not that random, as it means if you speak you mind you’d better be prepared to make a fast exit. Only when I wrote it down did it equate, duh!!

He is full of great lines though, like Champagne Taste, the second track – I got champagne taste but lemonade money – what a fabulous way of saying you live above your means. And he has High Hopes as he states on track three. Well who hasn’t, but who’s put it in a song before. This song goes onto explore inherited mental health struggles.

The fourth track is an old blues song, which I first heard Bby David Johansson And The Harry Smiths, but is a traditional song, and it features some delicious blues harp, courtesy of Jake Dillon Groves. And this is where the album makes it’s first twist. It’s not just Americana based, it branches out, it weaves and turns through a few associated genres.

Track five, The Perimeter is like a Steve Earle spoken word work out, track six, Heavy Is The Head features a dark Latino type groove, and then track seven Junkyard Dog is back to the blues, New Orleans kinda blues, with brass section and all, with Oscar Lloyd on trumpet.

Track eight The Wire is like Tom Waits interpreting an old English folk song. It doesn’t have the growly voice but the arrangements are Mwagh! Tres magnifique.

Muhlenberg County Star draws inspiration from his first US tour and you can really see him travelling through the night, with the pedal steel adding that authentic US touch and wistfulness.

Gut Feeling is a happy go lucky country blues tune featuring some great dobro guitar, or maybe it’s the pedal steel again with a different tone, it’s pretty whatever it is. Factory Reset, features some exquisite honky tonk pedal steel and the wonderful line – I think I need to smoke a cigarette, but I ain’t never smoked and I don’t plan on quitting yet. Sublime! The pedal steel played throughout is Christiano Pochesci, who also co wrote Speak Your Mind.

The wistful pedal steel smothers the title track Painted Skies, in thoughtfulness and melancholy, The words reflecting on a willingness to live a musicians lifestyle with no guarantees. This song was co written with Dutch songwriter Mercy John

The album finishes with an acoustic reprise of Muhelnberg County Star, but still featuring the pedal steel.

This album is so satisfying, and keeps you constantly engaged with its multi styled direction. It gives you one of those musical Oh Yeah! moments. My musical equivalent of eating a full tub of salted caramel Haagen Dazs ice cream, and then wanting more. *****

Review by Andy Sharrocks

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SHAKRA Wasteland Warriors (Frontiers)
JAMES KENNEDY & THE UNDERDOGS – Revolution (Konic Records)
BLACKLIST UNION Madame Butterfly (BLU Records)
DIAMOND RAIN I Need Love (Pride & Joy Music)

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09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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