Contemplation, Twilight by The Brazen Youth starts as a bouncy, plaintiff, beautiful indie ballad of sorts then shifts in a startlingly bipolar way. The shift feels jubilant but the suddenness feels a bit manic and when it comes down from it's high to an even more cloistered retrospective tone, I thought of some of Thom Yorke's beautiful, yet sad piano work a la "A Moon Shaped Pool" a bit. The Brazen Youth is Nicholas Lussier, Charlie Dahlke and Micah Rubin based out of Lyme, Connecticut and since I first wrote about them back in June (see) I am quietly stunned at the breath and scope of their artistry and the way they embrace their emotional depth at such a young age. I suppose their name is an apt one.
Of the track they offer:
We wanted Contemplation, Twilight to capture a moment of uncertainty. It’s a reflection of our surroundings that lives somewhere between total acceptance and an unsure mania. We took a raw, but refined approach to the song. The calmness of it all gives some context to the high energy of lines like “What if I’m a maniac out on the road,” or “I feel myself move to you, though my wings have been shattered.” The song is a struggle to maintain control of one’s thoughts, and it ends with an acceptance of insignificance, but a sense of gratitude for one’s personal journey.
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Robb Donker
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
The Brazen Youth began with an unlikely union of two eighth graders, Nicholas Lussier and Charlie Dahlke. Based on a 300-year-old farmhouse in Lyme, CT, the pair developed their folk-based sensibilities in a space that was unlimited in creative power. They spent their formative years between the musty bookshelves of the farm, crafting a record that came to be called The Ever Dying Bristlecone Man (2016), which was pure evidence of the ambition and imagination of both songwriters. With a new surge in online followers, Nick and Charlie’s good friend Micah Rubin joined the band, creating a complete lineup that would tour the United States throughout 2017 and 2018. During this time the trio was developing a more polished, cohesive LP in their self-constructed studio that would release in 2018 called Primitive Initiative. Following a longer period of touring including dates with friends Spendtime Palace, The Brazen Youth’s upcoming EP, titled 15 BILLION EYES was completed. While Ever Dying and Primitive Initiative made use of darker textures, 15 BILLION EYES is more inventive, playful, and dynamic than any past work. The songwriting is more distinct – contrasting Charlie Dahlke’s declarative, bold statements with the reflective, moody pondering of Nicholas Lussier. Mixed by Sam Griffin Owens (Sam Evian), the record has a unique warmth that is both recognizable and surprising. On the wake of the record release and a long string of tour dates, the Brazen Youth remains a brotherhood like no other – a creative force which constantly seeks to challenge itself and shed its old skin.
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