John Brannen--a Screaming Springsteen Substitute

Nashville-based rocker John Brannen shouldn’t fret over his inability to really rouse the polite but typically apathetic industry crowd that was on hand for his local debut Saturday at the Roxy. Hollywood doesn’t seem like Brannen’s target demographic anyhow; his act seems likely to go over a lot better out in the heartland. (No offense to Middle America.)

He’d be especially well-advised to try it out in those kinds of towns that are forever sending petitions to Bruce Springsteen trying to get him to play at their local basketball arena. With his stubble and sleeveless black T-shirt, Brannen is the latest FDA-approved Bruce substitute, as filtered through Bryan Adams’ mid-tempo pop and corporate hard-guitar-rock. Perfect stuff for staid rock radio to play--it’s safe, as instantly familiar as another spin of “Badlands,” and the program director can brag that he’s breaking new acts.

If you get past the non-stop cliches mythologizing small-town dreams and desire, the single “Desolation Angel” has a nice little hook. Brannen sang it like most of his other choruses: screaming his lungs out in search of that raspy Adams tone. They may love that howling out in Iowa, but at this rate the poor guy’ll be lucky if he has any vocal cords left in five years.