Tracy Bryant Drops A Personal and Pop-Riddled Album
- BuzzSlayers
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
A wildly eclectic new record from Tracy Bryant just dropped, and this album certainly runs the gamut of pop influence in different approaches. You have everything from jazz to rock, and so much more, all rolled into one record, which is pretty impressive to say the least.
You also get a good chunk of contemporary pop in there. This is something I really loved about it because as the album unfolds, you get pieces of the artist. He's not really afraid to hold back in certain songs, which feel cinematic and emotional, but nothing is really over the top.
You're just getting truths and honesty from him, which is brilliant because this kind of record demonstrates how Tracy can be a bit unafraid when it comes to speaking his mind, and not building walls around his creativity.
So, let's jump right into it.
The record starts with "Cold Floor", which has a very jazzy style influence but is also inspired by this sort of '90s underground pop Soul kind of feel. There's definitely a lot of that neo soul laced and peppered throughout the record's course, but this first track does a great job of introducing us to the rest of the album.
A lot of piano thrives throughout this record, and this first track exemplifies some of that staple.
One of the things that really hits me about this record and this song in particular is the way he double-tracks his vocals. When he takes this approach, which isn't every single song, you get a thickened sense of tone. This almost lets you pay more attention to the lyrics in a strange way.
The percussion on this track is outstanding, as it is on the rest of the record. It doesn't push things but instead creates this sort of seamless flow for the piano and other instrumentation to take place. Everything compliments each other in terms of the instrumentation, and with the vocals as well.
You can also hear plenty of classic rock influence coming into play throughout the songs. They are warm, catchy, and always hold the pop sensibility close at hand.
There are loads of catchy little hooks here and there that showcase how the artist doesn't forget to infuse a lot of his classic pop influence into the music as well.
"Widow" displays some experimental approach and a little bit more of that classic rock and almost psychedelic feel. The percussion and drum beat is delicate but sort of wild at the same time. It's quickened and fast-paced, while the rest of it is very soothing. The vocals have this echo effect on them.
This element adds a little bit of the psych pop flow, and I dig out the artist's certainly not afraid to throw effects into different aspects of the songs, so you have something that feels endlessly fun and colorful while still displaying a lot of personality at the same time.
Songs like "Meet Me" give you a bit of a vast set of undertones, a swing beat, and it borders on a sort of Indie pop flow.
By the time you get halfway through the record, indie-pop definitely starts showing face a lot more. You get such a great, almost genre-bending approach to a lot of the songs and the way that they're performed as a unique way of putting you in the moment with them.
This is a record I would absolutely suggest listening to all the way through in one shot. Songs seem to interconnect in different ways; the stories definitely come from personal spaces, which is excellent, and there are more than a few surprises around the corners in terms of the tones and songwriting.
This album is an amazing representation of how an artist is able to take some emotionally bound topics and lean them seamlessly into pop sounds, all while creating a bit of an experience for the listener.
Listening to this record with headphones on as an absolute must. You're able to really take in rhythms and textures along with the lyrics a lot better this way.
Again, a lot of the record seems to be very personal, and he is certainly letting a lot of inner thought out for all to soak in, so you don't really want to miss where he's coming from with a lot of these songs.
This is obviously a very authentic record and feels like it was probably cathartic for the artist to write and release.
The songs almost serve as diary entries. Tracy is really letting you in on a lot. As you listen through, you will find plenty to chew on.
Take a listen to this one and see what it does for you.
Don't forget what you heard it first.
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