Album review Bri Louise
Pōneke based, Bri Louise, brings a calm gentleness to this Album; you can hear the smile in her voice and the love she has for those she sings about. With smooth jazz and R ‘n’ B notes, the Album was recorded live, with a ~20-piece support band/choir, giving it a unique, raw and unfiltered feel. Quavering harmonies and choir-like vocals make this album feels like worship. Bri Louise is an outspoken queer artist, and the care and passion she feels for the community she exists in can be felt in the very bones of this album.
This album is hard to pin down, each track has its own soul and spirit, some with steezy saxophone solos, others dripping with spoken word poetry, others with hip hop roots, and others still infused with orchestral instruments that I can’t name but speak to my soul in a way that only complex and unexpected instruments played skilfully can. This range speaks to the multitalented nature of Bri Louise and the band, and her ability to tie together unrelated acts into a sonic experience that feels like a hug, or a conversation with a friend late at night.
This album is simply beautiful. Put it on in the background or sit and revel in the warm and complex musical journey that Bri Louise will take you on. Either way, this album will shift your idea of what an album as an artform can be.
From the airwaves to your ears
As you read this, music is being beamed across New Zealand, through your head and into your car radio or phone. The airwaves are sizzling with tunes and all you have to do to, is tune in.
I’m a little sick of playing God with music, always choosing exactly which song to play next. I’m never quite satisfied, I can’t quite itch that scratch. And I’d wager you’ll feel this way at some point too. My solution? Give up control. Surrender yourself to someone else’s taste. Let yourself sway to the mercy of someone else’s setlist. We’re talking about the radio here.
The radio is too often associated with loud construction sites and petrol stations with The edge, or MoreFM blasting out the same top 40 pop songs for weeks in a row. However, the radio is so much more than this. It’s a space to allow someone to curate a setlist for you. It introduces you to artists and genres you’d never be exposed to and lets you experience music through someone else’s ears.
Here are 4 radio stations I think are worth listening to:
The airwaves are full of independent and alternative radio stations, with the sole purpose of bringing good, underground music to the people. Whether you have a radio or not, you can access almost all stations online, so go and bless your ears with the sweet sounds of the radio and let me know if you find one worth telling us about.
