STEVE BRACHMANN
Staff Writer

Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears’ newest release, Mad Valentines, delivers a puzzling combination of classical piano, pop and attitude. The result is so catchy it is almost frustrating.

The Brooklyn-based group is known for an eclectic style of songwriting that is both cinematic and very melodic. This sound revolves around the musical stylings of Bryan Scary. His responsibilities include writing the music and playing almost all of the instruments recorded for the band’s albums. Prior to Mad Valentines, two other albums have been released under the Bryan Scary name: 2005’s The Shredding Tears and 2008’s Flight of the Knife. The Shredding Tears was released as a solo project for Bryan Scary; Flight of the Knife and Mad Valentines were released under the name Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears. The Shredding Tears, which includes band members Mike Acreman, Graham Norwood, David Ostrem, Paul Amorese and Brian Bauer, complement Scary during live performances.

Scary’s style is definitely pop but a quirky pop that endears listeners by being unabashed in its choice of sound. This quirk is evident from the opening seconds of the album’s first track, “Andromeda’s Eyes.” The song opens with a 15 second piano intro that sounds like a frenzied Mozart piano concerto supplemented by a few quick electric guitar chords at the :03 mark. From there, the song retains its frenetic pace while adding more electric guitar with snare drum and cymbals for emphasis, emulating a baroque rock style. The piano remains a large part of the sound but trades in the classical scales and arpeggios to match the rest of the band’s rock style.

In the track’s vocals, Scary’s voice comes through as strident with a punk attitude. It is unfortunate that the sound coming from the rest of the instruments clouds the lyrics from being intelligible, especially as little snippets come through every now and again that sound smart.

“Andromeda’s Eyes” has an eclectic quality reminiscent of Queen, especially at the end of the bridge section before each chorus. This lead-in to the chorus describes a group of lovelorn men “freaking out on/ Andromeda’s eyes.” The word “eyes” is sung as a soaring chord that comes in from nowhere, the execution of which one can only assume would make Freddie Mercury proud.

The strongest track on Mad Valentines is “The Red Umbrella,” which ends the album. This song is a perfect example of how frustratingly catchy Scary can be at his best. “The Red Umbrella” starts with a bright guitar riff anchored by quarter note piano chords and some light cymbal and drums. The verse loses the emphasis on guitar to promote Scary’s ethereal vocals, grounded by piano with a funk vibe. As soon as the chorus enters, Scary’s audacity explodes.

The piano and guitar become very low in register, creating an attitude that almost spits in your face. Scary’s naturally expressive voice is allowed to shine while pumping out lyrics that sizzle with determination and drive: “All the people saying ‘Hey/ Okay/ If you want to break away/ Won’t you follow the red umbrella/ When you can’t take another/ Lonely day/ Another day/ When you want to run away/ Follow the red umbrella/ The red umbrella in the rain.’”

A few technical issues on Mad Valentines keep it from truly standing out. The first, as mentioned earlier, is the inability to hear Scary’s lyrics cleanly over the instrumentals. The other concern is that the release contains only six tracks totaling a mere 23 minutes.

Mad Valentines is currently listed for eight dollars on Amazon.com, which will not break anyone’s bank but sometimes you like a little more bang, regardless of the buck. Both “Andromeda’s Eyes” and “The Red Umbrella” are available for free listening at Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tear’s MySpace page, www.myspace.com/bryanscary.