Chris Brandon's conscious memories of Austin, TX, may be confined to those of his childhood, but deep down, some part of him has been in the Live Music Capital all along. The singer-songwriter's debut, Whispers in My Mind, nestles so well alongside Austin's current crop of rising songwriting stars (Michael Fracasso, Matt the Electrician, Eliza Gilkyson, Liz Pappademas) it almost defies belief that he makes his home in New Paltz, NY. Brandon shares with his Austin brethren/sistren a relaxed, friendly approach to songcraft too often missing from musicians weaned on the hardened New York City performers' circuit where Brandon actually cut his teeth. Add to that his native grasp of Austin's trademark sound--an American music that's swallowed its twang to become both soulful and rhythmic, acoustic-based but unafraid to rock--and you've got a man exiled on Main Street when he'd fit right in on Austin's Sixth Street.

Perhaps because this "song-cycle" was born on a cross-country trek, it is rife with creative expressions that feel purely American--Brandon's voice is open and uncontrived, his lyrics the classic ruminations of a seeker/traveler. In translating songs that are clearly the work of one man, the hi-fi, full-band recording sacrifices no sublety, touches of steel guitar, harmonica, and world-flavored instrumentation never detracting from the record's cohesive, well-conceived tone. Brandon's record rings with such joyful spirit that even when he sings of regret, he sounds genuinely grateful for the opportunity to feel something so deeply.
    --Dylan Siegler, Contributor to Billboard and The Village Voice

Whispers in My Mind is a mesmerizing indie debut by singer-songwriter Chris Brandon. A piquant mix of Ryan Adams, Beck, Leonard Cohen, and REM, with faint strains of early Neil Young, the result is an entrancing musical quilt of alt.folk-rock, ebbing with blues and country. While the pensive sound of the pedal steel guitar is lovely in places, it's the ringing acoustic guitar and Brandon's distinctive, melodious voice that give the album its sonic continuity.

A musical odyssey well worth taking, Whispers in My Mind is a song cycle telling a kaleidoscopic journey of personal redemption. Brandon has put his life's experiences to aural poetry. Many of the magnetic songs on this album will get under your skin like an elusive, yet satisfying dream. "Burning Bridges," "Town of Broken Boats," "Sleepwalking," and "As I Revive" will haunt you, and you'll find yourself playing them over and over. Chris Brandon's Whispers in My Mind is an odds-on pick for one of the best indie debuts of the year.
    -- Kim Taylor, Contributor to Blues Review and Contemporary Musicians

I've been listening to Whispers in My Mind a lot over the past couple of days and this soul-hungry dog is feeling rather full. Chris Brandon has found some terrific musicians and has put together a tasty folk-rock feast. All the arrangements are very good and some are quite lovely. Each time I listen to the CD, I find more things I like about it: the poetic compression of the lyrics, the sweet acoustic strumming, the mournful harmonica, the yearning fiddle, the unusual sound of the bansuri. Rich stuff. Beautiful music.
    -- Steven Fechter, Playwright and Screenwriter (The Woodsman)

Chris Brandon's Whispers in My Mind is a disc chronicling the tale of edges: scorched transitions, stolen twilight liaisons, wind haunted ocean-side sojourns. His acoustic-based folk-rock recalls the sparse arrangements of songs like Suzanne Vega's Small Blue Thing, and works like Duncan Sheik's self-titled debut. The crisp, uncluttered production highlights Brandon's deft vocal phrasing and cagey guitar playing.

With accomplished consistency (and some hooks big enough to hang your soul from), Brandon's imperfect characters find homes in these pertinere perfect songs. Whispers in My Mind is a song cycle of arsonist inheritances "Burning Bridges", mock transcendence "A Revelation", lost wanderings "Sleepwalking", unrequited rescue "In the Ocean", incarceration "Paper Slipper Blues", and spiritual longing "Waiting for a Road Map". By the closing cut, "Up to Me," the false starts and endless running are over. Redemption arrives in the confident voice of someone who finally knows of hearing his own calling, of hearing his own whispers.
    -- Chris Spatz, WTSR and contributor to Blue Stone Press and Half Moon Review