Supporting Acts: Brian Jarvis, Lara Johnston Brendan James Brendan James’ third album, Hope In Transition, marks a shift from blind ambition to a new optimism. After a transformative summer and some serious soul-searching, the LA-based singer-songwriter had a creative rebirth. On July 10, 2012, James releases the most hopeful and invigorating collection of pop-rock in his criticallyacclaimed, seven-year career. “I named it Hope In Transition simply because of the huge transition I went through last year," James explains. "When I made my first two albums, the mindset was, ‘Keep your head forward and don’t stop running, keep going, going...’ but I don't care who you are, you can’t keep that up without a break. Because of the constant motion, I was tired all the time, and was starting to lose the enjoyment I derived from writing. I had to get centered again before I charged ahead.” The nine-song Hope In Transition conjures up a wide array of emotions within a focused aesthetic. James writes with uplifting warmth, compassion, and deeply revealing candor, while blurring the genre lines between shimmering soul, confessional folk, and goose-bump inducing pop-rock. He keenly balances a timeless sense of organic instrumentation with a playfully experimental penchant for slinky R&B-flavored beats and tasteful electro ambience. $12 in Advance/$15 at the Door