“Surface” is just one of the potently resounding singles from Brenden Owen’s latest album “Giving Up or Giving In”. Whilst I’m never adverse to a cathartic stripped-back soundscape, generally they all carry the same chord progressions and lack of imagination. Yet, with Surface, there’s almost a Post-Punk, hauntedly raw alchemy over the track thanks to the seamlessly perfect production of the single and inventive use of winding reverb.
Within the 3:27-minute long track, you were treated to the same amount of progression which many artists would struggle to fit into a 10-minute track. You start off with the jazz undertones of the blues rhythm, before switching to a sporadically winding off beat melody and the quaint arrangement picks up momentum. Yet, one thing that did remain as a constant throughout the track was the pensive allure of Brenden Owen’s vocals and lyrics. It’s safe to say any fans of Elliot Smith or Radiohead would love the succinct soft vocal capacity of the arrestingly melancholic up and coming artist.
You can check out Brenden Owen’s single Surface along with the rest of the album for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
No Comments