James Sardone's EP Colors presents us with an opportunity to witness the Wilmington, North Carolina guitar virtuoso's mastery as a pop songwriter. The titled track "Colors Of Your Brain" is a captivating guitar-driven dance hit layered with an abundant amount of compelling influence that spans four decades of Alternative music. Indie R'n'B duo De La Noche (Robert Rogan, Brian Weeks) contribute two versions of their solid four-on-the-floor remix for "Colors Of Your Brain"; one short edit geared toward radio disc jockeys, and another that clocks in over eleven minutes primed to keep you on the dance floor. To round out the EP, Sardone delivers a captivating rendition of Blondie's "Dreaming" featuring Tracy Shedd on piano, along with "Life of Love" — an upbeat original song chock-full of sophisticated, optimistic hooks.
For more than a generation, Sardone has put his own unique spin on indie rock. Hailing from the Appalachians, the musical magpie has dabbled in an expanding number of genres on a journey that stretched up the eastern seaboard. What started in the late 80s as the irreverent noise of seminal post-punk trio Brickbat -- who toured with Jawbox, The Jesus Lizard, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion -- has given way now to electronica-infused, 80s pop-inflected solo work. In between, Sardone honed his craft, evolving in an array of projects from the country-tinged hard rock Burnley Brothers to the rockabilly sensibilities of The Jimmy Nations Combo to Loose Jets’ glammier hard rock. Like music itself, Sardone never rests, never stays in one musical space too long before branching out to his next cacoethes.
