DeAndre at The Pheasantry (Review)

Stylish and slick but with no shortage of emotional punch, DeAndre is a preternaturally talented artist with a limitless voice

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During his stint on the eleventh season of American Idol back in 2012, DeAndre Brackensick displayed raw talent yet lacked the finesse and polish to make it all the way. He was only seventeen.

Flash-forward to 2019 and DeAndre is touring his debut album Black Denim, including a sold-out show last night at The Pheasantry – the Chelsea franchise of the Pizza Express Live brand.

Inspired by the likes of Maxwell, D’Angelo, and El DeBarge, DeAndre’s voice is a wide canvas of different textures. Dropping to rich lows and rising to whistle highs, he sang dexterously throughout his set last night. Within a single vocal line, he can pack in a scratchy full voice, a falsetto which can caress and sooth, as well as an upper range of piercing might – all blended together with spiralling vocal gymnastics.

The set was comprised of his meticulously crafted neo-soul jams, tinged with jazz, hip-hop, and gospel influences. With melodies that curled and crested unexpectedly, DeAndre often tapped out the band and allowed his backing vocalists to fill the empty space with beautiful harmonies. Though stylistically consistent, his material spanned different themes and tones, from the puppy-love of ‘Hush My Love’ (mixed with George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’), to the classic soul feel of ‘I Ain’t Never’, and the stripped back ‘Love is the Excuse’ (a reflection on his parents’ divorce).

How an artist approaches someone else’s material can be telling of their artistry. After a soaring take on Patti Labelle’s ‘Love, Need and Want You’, DeAndre tackled Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’. Stripping away the arena rock aesthetic, the song was performed with pulses of electric guitar, light percussion, and humming backing vocals.

The chemistry and connection with his band elevated the performances. Joining DeAndre on stage were Evan Khay (guitar), Lina Tamure-Robins (vocals), Keilana Mokulehua (vocals), and JRoQ (vocals/djembe). As well as anchoring the performances through their interplay with DeAndre, each backing singer was allowed to shine with solos interspersed throughout. In the spirit of sharing, DeAndre delivered backing vocals as Keilana performed her catchy single ‘Cotton Candy Feelings’.

The second half of the set raised the emotional intensity with the grittier ‘I.D.n.Y.L’ (‘I Don’t Need Your Love’) and the haunting ‘Black Denim’, inspired by DeAndre’s struggle with anorexia and bulimia. Performing without an interval yet never losing focus or energy, DeAndre took advantage of the venue’s intimacy and provided brief preambles before every song – conveying the depth and maturity of his songwriting.

The night ended with an encore of 1990s R&B hits including Maxwell’s ‘Ascension’, Mariah Carey’s ‘Emotions’, and TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’. Having taken the audience on a journey through his original material, DeAndre served up welcome nostalgia to send his audience home after one of the best gigs of 2019.