Time sure does fly by with increasing speed the older I get, and I can’t believe I’m nearing the 10 year mark of writing about music for this blog (though I didn’t begin writing reviews in earnest until Spring 2016). One of the artists I wrote about in those early days was Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Bryan Howell, when I reviewed his excellent debut album Take the Risk, which he recorded with his backup band The Standalones. Released in August 2016, the album featured ten stellar tunes drawing from a variety of influences, including rock and roll, rockabilly, garage rock, power pop, country, surf and indie rock, as well as the timeless soul music of Motown, Sun and Stax records.

In the years since, Bryan has released a handful of singles on a sporadic basis – “Against the Storm” in 2020, followed by “Still Hungry” and “Like Summer Thunder” in 2023 – yet we’ve remained connected on social media, where it’s been gratifying to know he and I are of similar minds with regard to the music industry and our nation’s insane political situation.

Though rather quiet with regard to releasing new music, Bryan’s remained active in the Nashville music scene, frequently playing gigs and shows with his backup band The Standalones, where he’s garnered a growing fan base through his high-energy performances. Now, Bryan is back and sounding better than ever with his first single in two years, “An Untamed Heart“, and I thought it high time I featured him again. Written by Bryan, who sang vocals and played guitars, the song was co-produced by him and Drew Boals, who engineered and mixed the track. Other musicians who also played on the track include Wes Burkhardt on bass, Tyler Peck on drums & percussion, Eric Robert on piano, organ and synths, and Austin Rothrock on saxophone. Melo Nelson provided additional vocal arrangments, and Bobbi Giel did the mastering. The song will be included on Bryan’s forthcoming second album Shouting Back At The Brink.

“An Untamed Heart” is a rip roaring banger, blasting open with an electrifying barrage of wailing gnarly guitars, hard-driving bass and explosive drums. Throughout the song, we’re treated to marvelous piano keys and exuberant sax, echoing some of the great songs by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band. Bryan’s intricate, fiery guitar work is truly spine-tingling and I love it!

In his spirited gravelly vocals, Bryan fervently sings of a “fiery vixen” who just might have what it takes to tame his wild heart and get him to finally settle down: “I’m an outlaw on the road of love. Robbin’ every heart I come across. No use for any knife or a gun, cause there’s no defense when that feeling comes. Cause an untamed heart makes its own rules. It might be time to leave this town. Gotta headstong woman chasing me down. A fiery vixen with eyes that smolder. But when I see her my breath gets shorter. And if that woman catches up to me, I’m afraid of what I may see. I may not be as man as I want to be. Cause an untamed heart makes its own rules. I’ve been mixed-up for a while now, ever since she and I crossed paths. I never thought I’d be tied down. But maybe those days are in the past.”

And here’s the track on Bandcamp:

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