Gavin Bradley

Having spent a fair amount of his time behind the controls as a remixer and DJ, Gavin Bradley’s debut CD comes as a bit of a surprise. Sure, the backdrop created by this Ottawa-raised, Toronto-based house music producer might be mostly electronically created, but there is barely a nod to the dance floor in this beautiful and soulful collection of love songs. With a smooth and accomplished voice that echoes John Mayer and Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal, his songs really lift you off the ground. Like a down-tempo version of England’s the Beloved, this is a tender, sexy, and very impressive debut. Having remixed or provided production work for Tori Amos, Nelly Furtado, Dido, Beck, Esthero and tons more, it is not surprising that Bradley attracted the attention of producer/label owner James Bryan, who helped polish both the songs and sound of Deep Freeze. While this album might be too smooth for some tastes, Bradley demonstrates an undeniable talent for songwriting. And with a voice that could melt pretty much anything, he should definitely be taken notice of.