Brandes – Like A Dagger (2023)
Influenced by the likes of the iconic Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, Brandes is an artist who has found the merging point of brutally honest songwriting and raw emotional melodies. Some artists use music as solace to express feelings beyond language; however, UK-based Brandes uses songwriting to share, understand and feel the core of the human spirit. The brainchild of former Labour MP and author Peter Bradley, Brandes might use vintage folk sounds, but the essence of his original music reaches into every heart and pours out in barebones starkness. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Like A Dagger’.
Following his debut single ‘Please Don’t Call’, ‘Like A Dagger’ is another taster of his upcoming album The Distance Between Dreams. While many folk tracks to come my way use raw lyricism and composition to tug at heartstrings, Brandes’ ‘Like A Dagger’ is like reading someone’s diary with all secrets, confessions and thoughts laid bare in the powerful lyricism. Tackling the complexity of relationships and regrets, ‘Like A Dagger’ is a diary entry about an affair resulting in lifelong regrets; a case where life gets in the way, and you look back with vulnerability and despair. Brandes explains:
“Many of my songs are in some way autobiographical and this is one of them. Each verse captures a snapshot of the gradual disintegration of a relationship, not so much through a lack of love or commitment but because of life’s circumstances. I’ve tried to achieve clarity and honesty about how it felt then and what it means now, and my hope is that individual listeners will find a point of contact which helps them to engage with their own experiences and emotions.”
Produced by Jonny Amos at The Song Lab, Birmingham, and composed with Dale Fewtrell, ‘Like A Dagger’ is a simplistic and minimalistic track. The melody is highly basic with a stark ambience, Amos’ acoustic guitar and Brandes’ electric guitar lifting the tune near the end; however, just as barebones as it is, there is an intriguing effect with the spoken word execution. It is as if we are allowed on the dusty road of regret and despair led by broken-hearted emptiness.
Find out more about Brandes on his Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustianablecurator
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