Graham Coath talks music with Brownbear.
Scottish collective Brownbear led by singer-songwriter, musician, writer and filmmaker Matt Hickman released their eagerly awaited second album Demons in March 2023.
The ten track LP combines Hickman’s gift for storytelling with his distinctive ‘adopted genre’ of indie-soul and is accompanied by the emotive third single Let Your Guard Down on the same day.
Life can be heavy and sometimes, that heaviness creates an emotional wall that makes us feel safe. Hickman wanted to explore letting his vulnerable side out again and, in doing so, reclaim some of his inner strength. The stripped back arrangement on Let Your Guard Down serves as a beautiful backdrop to that emotional outlet.
The joyous, upbeat verses of album opener All I Want fuse Brownbear’s rich sound with acoustic flourishes that burst into an earnest, poignant chorus, as Hickman reflects on both the fear and excitement that accompanies the feeling of falling in love.
This relatability at the heart of All I Want underscores the deeply accessible and moving songwriting that characterises the forthcoming album. Demons is the follow up to their much-loved 2018 debut album What Is Home, and sees Hickman build on the singular voice he developed on that release as he traversed themes of identity, love and loss.
Demons is without doubt Brownbear’s most assured, polished and endearing production yet. From the addictively vibrant, toe-tapping mood of All I Want, the album flows into the equally touching and high-spirited Close Call, where a buoyant melody and driving guitar riffs take centre stage and highlight the group’s knack for transforming revealing lyricism into uniquely moving, blissful indie-pop.
Tracks like Take Your Time dance to swinging, doo-wop soul, in further proof of brownbear’s ability to draw inspiration from myriad sources and effortlessly mould their own distinctive, captivating sound. Meanwhile, stunning closing track Unity - a soul-stirring, hugely groovy slow-burner full of animated hand claps and call-and-response harmonies - further exemplifies the impressive breadth of musicality on display.
Unity was born out of the response to George Floyd’s murder and how a space for conversations about race grew from that tragedy. For a lot of Black people in Scotland, that meant sharing their experiences of racism within the context of the UK & Scotland. Black Scots across the country, and throughout the arts started to connect and be a much needed support for each other. This is Hickman’s ode to Black Scots drawing on references from other parts of the Diaspora with a view to what it means to be Black & Scottish.
Even during the more down-tempo moments, such as the album’s pensive, harmony-laden title track, there’s a sense of hopefulness and comforting camaraderie that underpins Brownbear’s music. Hickman and co journey through the highs and lows of life, exploring the universality of emotion, and ‘Demons’ feels like a comforting arm around a shoulder, a reminder that we’re all in this together.Show less0 CommentsSort by
