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░ ██ ██ Artist: Bruce Soord ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Bruce Soord █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-04-01 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Kscope ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Better known as the frontman behind progressive █
█ rockÆs The Pineapple Thief, singer/guitarist Bruce █
█ Soord released his first solo album. Having █
█ performed on numerous records over the past couple █
█ decades, it came as a surprised when I found out █
█ his latest self-titled album ôBruce Soordö was █
█ indeed his first solo work. Many well-known █
█ musicians in the past have drifted from their █
█ original bands for better or worse with a goal to █
█ differentiate themselves. His latest album does █
█ just that, but is surprisingly deep, passionate, █
█ and introspective in comparison to his prior █
█ performances. █
█ Recruiting the help of multi-instrumentalist █
█ Darran Charles from the band Godsticks, Bruce █
█ Soord ultimately creates an album ripe with █
█ nostalgia. The underlying theme of SoordÆs past, █
█ his hometown and its disappearance from his life █
█ are better appreciated with its approachable, █
█ acoustic sound. Reminiscent of bands like Lunatic █
█ Soul and Storm Corrosion, the nearly softer █
█ direction of the album creates a more personal █
█ listening experience. The first two tracks ôBlack █
█ Smokeö and ôBuried Here,ö although simplistic in █
█ composition, are nonetheless fascinating. █
█ Graceful, delicate, and divine; the listener █
█ understands the albumÆs direction and theme █
█ immediately. SoordÆs vocal performance is at the █
█ albumÆs forefront, more so than any album of The █
█ Pineapple ThiefÆs. It takes the somberness of his █
█ voice to effectively recall these important life █
█ moments, and is impeccably performed throughout. █
█ Even with SoordÆs dominant vocal performance, he █
█ is unafraid to complement his voice with memorable █
█ orchestrations. The incorporation of brass █
█ instruments throughout the album was as surprising █
█ as it was brilliant. Its usage in songs like ôA █
█ Thousand Daggersö and ôWillow Treeö help me to █
█ paint the scene Soord has created, walking through █
█ an empty neighborhood of a long-forgotten town. It █
█ is the latter song that invokes oneÆs own █
█ recollection of their past troubles and █
█ experiences. As lighthearted as the track starts █
█ off, it isnÆt until the songÆs long instrumental █
█ bridge section that the dramatics increase, and █
█ one starts to think of whatÆs important to them. █
█ The use of keyboards also adds to the layers of █
█ soulful ingenuity, particularly in the song ôBorn █
█ In Delusion.ö A subtle presence behind the songÆs █
█ percussion, the keyboard and sound manipulation █
█ help to add to the songÆs atmosphere. █
█ Much of the album relies on vivid instrumental █
█ passages to accentuate SoordÆs vocal performance. █
█ It is in these songs that my favorite moments █
█ arise. Both ôField Day (Part 1)ö and ôField Day █
█ (Part 2)ö heavily using reverbed acoustic guitar █
█ rhythms alongside SoordÆs lone and dueled voice to █
█ create an intense mood. In time, violins and █
█ overdriven lead guitar add to the animated scene, █
█ a sudden and bombastic explosion of emotion. My █
█ personal favorite song ôFamiliar Patternsö again █
█ utilizes airy guitar leads and various other █
█ instruments to highlight SoordÆs delivery. I █
█ picture this song being the final song before the █
█ closing credits of a movie because of its █
█ reflective and stirring execution. █
█ Bruce Soord has created a noteworthy album in his █
█ self-titled debut, one that could rival some of █
█ his own records with his main band The Pineapple █
█ Thief. The thoughtful, heartbreaking lyrics, █
█ accompanied with the emotional instrumental █
█ performance is in direct opposition to The █
█ Pineapple ThiefÆs heavier and busier discography, █
█ but is just as meaningful. Proving his depth and █
█ wisdom, Soord has my appreciation, and should have █
█ yours too. I definitely recommend you check out █
█ his latest debut ôBruce Soord,ö especially for █
█ fans of other Kscope-signed artists like Anathema, █
█ Gazpacho, Katatonia, North Atlantic Oscillation, █
█ and Steven Wilson. Please support Soord by █
█ checking out his website, and by following him on █
█ Facebook and Twitter for band updates. Soord is █
█ preparing to enter the studio with The Pineapple █
█ Thief to record their next album. HereÆs to █
█ anticipating another astonishing release in the █
█ near future! █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Black Smoke 3:29 ░
░ 2. Buried Here 4:22 ░
░ 3. The Odds 3:37 ░
░ 4. A Thousand Daggers 4:49 ░
░ 5. Willow Tree 5:17 ░
░ 6. Born in Delusion 4:12 ░
░ 7. Field Day Part 1 3:14 ░
░ 8. Field Day Part 2 1:49 ░
░ 9. Familiar Patterns 4:17 ░
░ 10. Leaves Leave Me 5:19 ░
░ 40:25 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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