Los Angeles solo artist Tracy Bryant has a lot on his mind.
Living in arguably one of the most superficial and affluent places on the planet, he contends, is a challenge for any artist who is innately averse to a world of cars, concrete, fires, earthquakes, smog, and fake, back-stabbing people.
His newest album, Hush, is an artistic storyline of the post-apocalyptic world that southern California has become is today. More so, however, it’s one of the best DIY albums we’ve heard in 2019.
Bryant employs dystopian-like instrumentation and lyric to build this storyline, as evident on the alt. rock/anti-folk opener, “I’m Only Taking What is Mine.” The track adopts a slacker’s swagger, shifting melodies and an overall grungy vibe tinted by shades of sci-fi-like sound effects.
The following track, “The Fool,” picks up the pace quite a bit, rolling out acoustic and electric guitars, an upbeat rhythm enriched with cool time signatures, pop-rock-oriented melodies, and Bryant’s interesting vocals. The overall feel is a punk-pop strut reminiscent of artists like Mac Demarco.
Another strong track is “Mask.” It is an anti-ballad with verses that flow in a repetitive musical order and which then converge at mid-point into a wonderful desert-sky electric guitar solo. A terrific song.
After three compelling tracks right from the start, it only gets better with the surfer/slacker vibe of “Looks Like Gold.” The upbeat, surprise post-punk gem is undeniably one of the best singles we’ve heard in 2019. It was also the No. 1 track on Uncut Mag’s CD Sampler.
The album is boosted by the talents of drummer Nick Murray (Cate Le Bon, White Fence) and bassists Brian Allen (Burnt Ones) and Kyle Mullarky.
Byrant reveals himself, and his musical idiosyncrasies, little-by-little as the album hits the mid-point. He writes about a plethora of modern-day urban problems and concerns on “Nightmare,” which is predictably dark.
“It’s a portrait of a dystopian world; a nightmare that might as well translate to our times,” Bryant says, adding that the song was written during the height of the ‘Me Too’ scandals in Washington D.C., New York, and Hollywood.
“There is no denying the everyday nightmare that many [people] experience in America,” he adds. “The song is about the looming darkness that exists, not only in the current state of this country but also inside of those who refuse to evolve or recognize their imagined privilege.”
That is a good transition for the track “Hanged Man.” Thanks in part to its Elliott Smith-like riff, the song is a guitar-driven pop-rock nugget that belongs on a movie soundtrack.
The guitars and piano, together with percussions from the bass and drums, work so effortlessly with Bryant’s thoughtful lyrics and strongest vocals on the album.
The melody and rhythm of “Bury Me,” are impossibly optimistic-sounding for such a drab subject matter.
Unlike “Hanged Man,” Bryant’s vocal style reverts to his more hushed register that is evident on the album. The bass is nicely paired with the zoned-out guitars; it chugs along and drives the track forward.
It’s no wonder then that “Bury Me” was officially dropped as the first single from the album. Within a few days, it gained more than 10,000 plays on Soundcloud.
He wrote the song with his wife, Kimberly Fitzner. However, the song didn’t take shape the way he wanted it to in the studio. He put it aside until later.
“We laid down the guitar and vocals and approached the song from a less band-driven idea,” he recalls.
Bryant performed the organ and electric guitar parts; he said the track fit with the rest of the album, so he included it. His vocals often range somewhere between the spoken word and song. He has a remarkable ability to employ his signature style in just the right places.
Then there is “Everending Story,” a pop-rock/anti-folk anthem of sorts with a big resonance. The sweet, twinkling guitar riff that runs along the top of a heavy steady percussion is unforgettable.
The album closes with “I Tried,” which is probably the most underwhelming song on an album full of overwhelmingly strong alt. rock/indie rock songs from an Artist to Watch in 2020.
With a strong verve for alternative rock, Bryant also possesses many of the qualities of a true-blood indie rocker: the freedom to experiment, write and record without constraints.
Lyrically, the album is engaging, disturbing and honest. Bryant also takes well-deserved shots at the taboo music industry and the characters and charlatans that comprise it.
Recorded over a six-month period in a studio nestled in the mountains above the famous Topanga Canyon just north of L.A. off of the PCH, Hush was produced by Mullarky (The Growlers, Allah Las) and mastered by world-renowned engineer Dave Cooley (Ariel Pink, Animal Collective).
Altogether, it is one of the best under-the-radar albums of 2019 that we’ve heard.