Brandon Grant – Knowing (2024)
Proving that you don’t need any bells and whistles to be completely intoxicating, singer-songwriter Brandon Grant stokes the flames of raw passion in his honest, original, authentic, and genuine melodies. Hailing from South Africa, the Cape Town native travels across various types of folk music with a single aim: to explore human fragility with intricate melodies, introspective lyricism and heartfelt tenderness. Considering Cape Town’s reputation for chilled-out vibes and folk music’s less-than-rumbunctious nature, I for some strange reason expected a laidback attitude from Grant and that’s what I got; however, the intensity in his complex songs struck me down as I teetered between chilled-out and “oh, wow that was powerful”. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Knowing’.
Following his well-received single ‘Setting Suns’, Grant adopts a smooth, soothing tone in ‘Knowing’. Breathtakingly gentle, the soft combination of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, drums and piano makes ‘Knowing’ perfect as a calming track at the end of a busy day; however, in its kaleidoscopic simplicity, it is haunting and skin-chilling. Capturing vulnerability and melancholy with an indie-folk tone, Grant’s vocals only enhance the desperate side of a tragedy. Then again, just as there is a push-and-pull in each element of ‘Knowing’, a lingering solace and hopefulness breaks through with enlightened ease.
“A song that almost didn’t happen, and the song I’m most proud of to date. ‘Knowing’ is an indie-folk ballad of self-discovery masquerading as a poignant love song… mostly it’s the song I’ve been the most honest and vulnerable in…” – Brandon Grant on ‘Knowing’
I find it intriguing how Grant aligns the sense of self-growth and discovery with an increased depth of melody. We begin with a sparse melding of guitar, piano and vocals, but by the end ‘Knowing’ is a twirl of full-bodied music. He elegantly places another instrument as he learns more about himself and, in my opinion, this single is true proof of Grant’s outstanding ingenuity, innovation and masterful knowledge of concept, sound and its overall union.
In addition to the single, Brandon Grant released an official music video for ‘Knowing’. You can view the video below or on his YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Brandon Grant on his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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