Bryn Cristopher - 'Fearless'
It's a bit cold outside at the moment, isn't it? I've been trying all kinds of techniques to try to help me keep warm - I've been putting extra jumpers on, making draft excluders out of spare carrier bags, all that sort of thing. It's quite considerate of Bryn Christopher, in these circumstances, to do his best to help us stimulate the circulation by releasing a midwinter tune that easily merits the term 'heart-warming'.
The sub-genre of soul-with-excessive-orchestral-backing is not exactly new, but when done well, as it is here, it can be pretty effective. I particularly enjoyed the contrast of the slight mournfulness of the orchestra compared to the more uplifting tones of the lyrics and vocals. It actually reminded me quite a bit of Adele's 'Cold Shoulder', which I would consider a good thing since that was the only time I've ever found Adele even remotely bearable.
It is perhaps a bit predictable - I think anyone who listens to a healthy amount of music (or indeed 'Unfinished Sympathy' by Massive Attack) could probably listen to the first thirty seconds of this song and accurately predict what's going to happen in the remaining three minutes and ten, but the execution here is strong enough for this not to be a huge concern.
It might be a little overblown for some people's tastes, but it certainly provided a bit of light for me on a dark winter's evening.
Download: Out now
CD Released: January 19th
(Steve Perkins)
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