Polka may be Tom Brusky’s calling card, but by no means does old time music satisfy his musical appetite. The Milwaukee bandleader has dabbled in everything from ‘80s dance pop to contemporary Christian. Brusky’s latest detour from polka takes him back about a half-century to the smoothest of easy listening lounge music he could muster with his studio's software, additional musicians (?) and the mellowest background singers this side of a Ray Conniff.
Providing the vocals for Brusky's soft pop indulgence is Danny Tutsch, a veteran of the city's stages and studios. The baritone captures the swagger of Engelbert Humperdinck, Robert Goulet’s gravitas, and a sensual soulfulness akin to Charlie Rich on a collection of 17 remakes of number from the 1950s to the early ‘80s.
Tutsch arguably finds his sweet spot when he interprets smooth country balladry with Brusky’s uncanny approximation of the Nashville Sound (with an occasional touch of modern synthesizer). Adapting a couple of doo wop classics to their winning formula makes for a bit more of a stretch, but it still works, in great due to Tutsch’s sincerity. Heartache, Hope and Happiness likely won’t signal a permanent change of direction for a polka stalwart like Brusky. But, as a fun memento of a sound adjacent to old time music culture, it’s a fitting acknowledgment of some of his artistic breadth.
Get Heartache, Hope and Happiness at Amazon here.
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