Pennan Brae is a Vancouver songwriter who writes like someone raised on seventies radio and worn cassettes. His records have always circled classic rock, but Paint leans all the way in, helped by Steve Ferrone on drums and a tight small-band feel tracked at Blue Light Studio.
“It Ain’t Perfect But It’s Free” opens with exactly the kind of stomp the title suggests. Ferrone locks into a loose, head-nod groove while guitar and horns push it toward funk, and Brae sings it like a small act of rebellion you can dance to. “Girl In The City” shifts into country rock, with a warmer swing and a melody built for driving scenes and sunset montages.
“Take Me Back” and “Say That You Will But You Won’t” pull from eighties radio rock, all straight-ahead drums and bright guitar lines, written to move quickly rather than brood. “Slide” is one of the standouts: organ, a cool drum pocket, and a vocal that trades between rougher phrasing and a cleaner line that shadows the guitar hook. You can hear the Stones influence without it turning into pastiche.
“Synergy (With Horns)” stretches out the most, letting the rhythm section and brass play off each other while Brae rides the groove. Across the record, the songs feel built for bars, road trips, and sync: anything that needs a clear pulse, guitars up front, and a familiar kind of lift.
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