Jason Robert Brown begins
Wearing Someone Else's Clothes with ironic distance on the title cut. The song's narrator has turned his life upside down, thanks to a new love interest, and though he barely recognizes himself, he likes the change. "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes" is accompanied by a soulful, urban sound, highlighted by
Brown's smooth vocals, keyboards, and lots of powerful background singing. The only real downside of the song is that -- at five minutes and 31 seconds -- it overstays its welcome by at least a minute and a half. Interestingly,
Brown follows this ironic love confessional with an older song, "Long Long Road," about a lover packing her bags and leaving. Once again,
Brown packages his song with a nice urban groove, but the song -- once again -- also sticks around way too long. One nice thing about the lyrics of these songs is that they reveal a knack for tackling a familiar subject from a different angle ("Wearing Someone Else's Clothes" and "Getting Out"). It would be a mistake, however, to see
Brown as a singer/songwriter in the traditional sense. His approach to his self-penned songs reveals conviction, but the conviction is wrapped inside a theatrical flair.
Wearing Someone Else's Clothes will appeal to theatergoers and anyone who appreciates a good song solidly delivered. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.