| Brave James’ debut single ‘Soldier’ made a strong first impression for an artist with the imagination and distinction to occupy a space all of his own. Word of Brave James’ exploratory artistry will continue to spread as he today shares his second track ‘Lighthouse’. Listen HERE. Watch the visual HERE. If ‘Soldier’ defied conventions, ‘Lighthouse’ smashes them beyond recognition. Brave James’ richly textured and ethereal vocal harmonies drift dreamily over a production which inventively evolves at every step. The track’s initial loop casts a hypnotic spell that feels inescapable, but as he sings “shine a light into the water now” it changes course. Suddenly it opens up, revealing the space for his words to dominate the soundscape. It’s an unconventional structure, but one that mirrors the intensity of the experience that Brave James is discussing. Brave James says, “‘Lighthouse’ started as a circular-feeling, ethereal loop that felt never-ending, which lent itself to this theme that was in my mind at the time. I wanted to try to channel some of those hard-to-navigate feelings that I’ve had in my life, hoping that it may touch and resonate with listeners.” As with ‘Soldier’, Brave James co-wrote and co-produced ‘Lighthouse’ with Oli Rockberger (Jordan Rakei, Gregory Porter). The song’s illustrated visual highlights some of Brave James’ larger-than-life looks, while the luminous primary colours convey its slowly brightening spirit. ‘Lighthouse’ further encapsulates the two traits that dominate Brave James’ work. His use of choral, multi-textured harmonies expands upon his appreciation for Take 6 and The Beach Boys, while his unorthodox electronica feels like a cousin to Jon Hopkins, Tennyson or James Blake. Factor in a singer-songwriter’s grasp of melody, and the glitchy alt-pop of Tennyson and you’ll see Brave James escapes easy definition. He creates a concoction in which heavyweight alt-pop meets a form of shoegaze dominated by walls of vocals rather than distorted guitar. The London-based Australian artist started the Brave James project after a moment of epiphany. Lockdown provided the impetus and time to bring it to fruition, as the songwriter’s core theme of fractured human connections became ever more timely. He is now putting the final touches to his forthcoming debut album. |
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