The cover of Tom Brislin’s 2012 album, “Hurry Up and Smell the Roses.”
With the weather getting cold, it’s a good time to listen to a sunny song like singer-songwriter-keyboardist Tom Brislin’s “Your Favorite Day,” an enthusiastically nostalgic recounting of boardwalk memories. “Hear the bells and whistles of the shiny machines/You want to hold your ears, but to me it’s a symphony,” sings Brislin.
Though he sings calmly, his words make him sound almost giddy: “Funhouse mirrors and dancing lights/Cotton candy and lemon ice/I want to go on all the rides/Run on the sand and chase the tides.” And it’s also, in a way, a love song, with the lovers sharing the memories of time spent together on the Shore: “Ah, you’re dreaming you’re back on the beach/Let me hold your hand and sweep you off your feet.”
Brislin, who achieves a power-pop feel despite the complexity of his keyboard riffs, released the song on his first solo album, 2012’s “Hurry Up and Smell the Roses.” The Dunellen musician had previously toured and recorded as the leader of the band Spiraling (originally known as You Were Spiraling), and played keyboards for Yes, Meat Loaf, Renaissance and many other artists.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.
