Everyone, at some point or another, has had a moment of recognition where it dawns on them that the song they’ve been dancing around to all week actually has quite heavy lyrics or recounts a difficult story. It’s the most appealing form of dysfunction, in a way, which also happens to be the issue-at-hand in Graham Bright’s new single, “Redland.”
The track opens over delicate and resonant keys, stripped down to highlight Bright’s crisp vocals, as he sings to a lover about how he’s been longing for them. It comes with a twist at the end of the first verse, though, when the declarations of yearning are contrasted with the statement, “Maybe it’s best if you tell me you don’t feel the same.”
At this moment, the production shifts at some noise from a gritty amp and blends into an infectious hook that attracted hundreds of listeners on TikTok. Graham Bright teased “Redland” prior to its release on the app in a clever way, saying it was a clip of an unreleased Frank Ocean track.
Though it’s a strong claim to make, any viewer could (and did) fall for the bit as Bright’s vocals do have the same warm buttery tone through his expressive lower range straight up into his brighter tenor.
The masterfully-crafted hook is hard to sit through without, at the very least, bobbing your head and it doesn’t give the slightest hint at what’s to come in the chorus twenty seconds later.
Bright sings “There’s only redland between us,” expressing the turmoil and tension that continually bubbles up to the surface in his relationship, but these heavy lyrics sit over top of the most aptly syncopated kick-snare combo, a guitar and bass that meld together, and Bright’s backing vocals, which add a complex texture and depth to the soundscape.
Throughout the rest of the song, he only exhibits more skill in his writing, arrangement, and performance, leaving you wanting so much more at the end of two-minutes and forty-five seconds.
With this being his first solo offering since 2017, one can only imagine what Bright has to bring to the table in the new year.
Make sure to check out the newly-released music video for “Redland” below and find the track on all streaming platforms now:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5L42VfKl9TXFiwUvlhcyps?si=E6eeRNn8TYKgZQjWhblyGQ
