Bryn Christopher : The Quest EP

Bryn Christopher proudly wears his tenure as a back-up singer for Amy Winehouse on his sleeve. As he should. Like the raven-haired “Rehab” diva, Christopher looks good on paper. He has a compelling back-story, a talented production team, and a distinctive soul voice (think Jamiroquai). Unlike Winehouse, however, these attributes translate poorly to record. The Quest, Christopher’s debut EP, is a fairly vacuous enterprise; there’s not much lurking below the formulaic pop surface.

The Quest’s title track, featured in electric and acoustic versions, epitomizes the entire EP. The song has a catchy chorus, with Christopher doing his best Al Green impression, and nicely layered horns. However, in the end, the song sounds like every other forgettable tune you’ve heard on the radio this year. Christopher does have an amazing voice, but, on The Quest, it is largely wasted on uninspired songwriting and generic production.