I’ve always honestly wondered if there was a healthy middle between the soft indie rock, and the heavier side. It is often unexplored, and the ones who do it don’t find the transition right, in my experience. Brig Aurora might have changed that perspective for me. Their self titled EP Brig Aurora is out now, and has a wonderful collection of songs from the talented group. Read on to know what were the best elements of this album for me.
For a 10 track album, there’s quite a bit to unpack. They’ve solidified on a tone for each of their approaches, which is very exciting. The songs have evolved since their album Cerebral Pendulum last year. This is a full album so they’ve been at this for a while.
In the Eye of the Storm is their first track. Now there’s not a transition between the soft and the hard rock part, and that’s ok. Hearing that slide just before the distortion is what takes the cake in the track. I won’t tell you when it is, but hopefully you get frisson like I did. The second half is equally as entertaining, and twice as bold. Great opener.
Purgatory. More like paradise by the way the track has been composed. Packed like a baklava with tons of little frills to read into, this song is as simple as it is enjoyable. The taps on the cymbals, the flourishes on the blues scale make it lighter, and if anything a preparation to make going to hell a slightly smaller scale ordeal. The lyrics on the other hand make these ramblings from me completely unnecessary.
Beyond acoustics: six strings sing
Half the Time is an acoustic track, and it keeps it raw and natural. Dave Grohl said in his autobiography, The Storyteller-music is best when its more human when its not. All great artists have tempo alterations, slides and scratches kept in the master mix. This track is an honest display of some melodic poetry and nothing else. The layers add on, giving it more of a pearly gates aura that lasts beyond the constraints of the song.
Chugg’s Dream is another short acoustic track that takes you to Peter Pan’s Neverland. Notice the TM is missing, so it’s another version of it that’s just as dreamy, if not more. The guitars and synths transport you to a space beyond ours, with slide guitar adding flourishes in between. It’s an engaging transition track, and keeps the flow of the album. Let it Rest is the next track, having the same energy and dissonance created in Purgatory. They have a solid foundation for their melodic songs, almost creating a canoe on a still lake effect. Explore at your own pace.
Two of John Mayer’s favorite chords from In Continuum. It has a wonderful echoing effect, and the open nature of the chords make it light enough for an infinite loop in the track itself. Too Late has the pace and energy of the Pink Floyd legendary opener, Breathe. It makes the track a light introduction and a song in itself, with the instruments doing the bare minimum with simplicity and nuance. It has funk chord changes as well, but within the framework of this indie rock track. One of my favorites in this album.
A jam entertainer
Raccoon Rock has more than its fair share of James Brown funk in it. The 1,2,3,4 yell has always been enough for me to dream playing in a band. If I can visualize the faces as well, I don’t even need the performance video that is so often posted. This track must have been a fun one to record, having a tight groove within the rhythm section itself. Almost their prog-rock anthem, worth the encore with all the magic that is happening anyway.
Everyone Grows is one of those songs that has an everlasting tune. Be it the chord progressions or the tone that creates this dreamy outlook from the songs perspective. Can this track be our generations Everybody Hurts? Surely enough, it has all the elements we would want from a song that resonates with so many people. With Radiohead’s Kid A style performances from the instruments and vocals, this track is a whole different attack on the palette. It expands their range to so much more of alt-rock that I’m almost shocked I missed this comeuppance.
How to change your approach
Who needs to release a B side when the jam itself is worth the sparks created on a hit track? Voyage to... is precisely that, and the best part is not knowing the destination. As the listener and musician, this platform creates the same amount of excitement and an unbreakable bond. The flow is ridiculously smooth in all places, there are no parts where an abrupt shift destroys the created laminar effect.
Yes, I saw it too late. It is a fun and beautiful transition to experience, and Brig Aurora do it with the mastery of an experienced band that has shifted with the tides of time. Closing this album with Nowhere is a checkmate move, for an album that has everything that we and Brig Aurora love. Will this album be forever etched in history as their self titled EP, and something that their standards will be compared to forever? Yes. Do we see this band put out music better than this? Effortlessly. Think of this as a feeler, of every genre they’ve liked to traverse. Just pack your bags and be ready to travel because they have the oars. It could be a voyage to nowhere.
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
