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A beautiful debut album is every musician’s dream. As important as tours and dive-bar shows are, the first collection of songs is where a lasting statement is made in what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career. For Springfield-born, Nashville-based rock and roller James Bruner, his debut album, “Can’t Keep Wanting You,” is the perfect moment to pay homage to the idols that shaped him. Not with covers, mind you, but by embodying the bold style and virtuosic musicality of Kravitz, Prince, and Jet, carrying the everlasting torch of rock and roll forward.
Following his 2023 launch and the streaming success of tracks like “Big Shot” from “The Otherside,” this record is the hard-earned payoff of hundreds of shows alongside heavy hitters like The Struts and Barns Courtney. It takes those classic hard rock roots and waters them with tons of flair and good instincts.
Thematically, Bruner chose desire—bordering on obsession—as the album's core. It’s through tracks like the eponymous and Kravitz-inspired hit “Can’t Keep Wanting You” or “Hypnotized” where a lot of that shines through in plain terms; however, nowhere else does “plain” describe anything in this record. From dangerous, live-wire guitars to thundering, manic drums, Bruner delivers a commendable example of rock mastery; he even pushes into pop territory with songs like “OMG” and later into honky-tonk hard blues with “Wish I Could Stay.”
“Can’t Keep Wanting You” translates years of touring across international stages directly into the studio, capturing a raw, live chemistry built around passing a Fender Stratocaster back and forth with producer Shane Weisman. Bruner’s album comes off as both a heartfelt thank-you to the heroes who inspired him and a bold declaration of where he is headed next, proving that rock and roll is alive, thriving, and in extremely capable hands.
Listen to “Can’t Keep Wanting You” and connect with James Bruner on Instagram.
