'Gleason’s new EP presents a refined blend of intimately jazzy piano and melancholic ambience that is as appealing as it is unsettling. The sound of thunder segues into a darkly beautiful progression of pianos and guitars, Gleason’s steady tenor smoothly hovering with a restrained sadness the likes of which are usually reserved for cigarette smoking lounge divas lamenting lost loves. With the six-count rhythm and an off-kilter bridge in the pre-chorus, along with his multi-instrumental abilities being fully on display with “Destruction,” Gleason’s songwriting talent is immediately apparent and continues into “Unruddered” with its layers of chilled piano and swirling, powerful guitars and drums. While past comparisons to Tori Amos are certainly apt, especially in the prevalence of the piano and his jazzy chord progressions and time signatures eschewing the simplicity of pop conventions. Similarly, Gleason’s lyrical vocabulary is of especial note, conveying a depth of thought and an almost literary sensibility not commonly heard in this day and age. “Polarity” swings by with the ever elusive five-count slowing and speeding up adding to the eerie atmosphere of the song to great effect along with the subtle layers of organs and haunting synthesizers, while “Calculated” moves with all the wistful energy of Nick Cave at his darkest. The title track ends the EP with a sweet sadness of wavering synths and twinkling pianos followed by off-beat vocals that seem to move at their own rhythm before converging with the music. As on the rest of the EP, the song builds on its base to crescendo choruses that balance dissonance and noise with harmonic order. Only his second release and Brett Gleason demonstrates a profoundly advanced musical talent. The production is as solid as the performance and the songs present a thoughtfulness of arrangement and theme that will have many listening to the EP on repeat, evoking a simultaneous sense of sorrow and serenity.' - Regen Mag regenmag.com/reviews/brett-gleason-the-thawing/