JAM THE TRACKS WHILE YOU READ
"GREAT ADD YOU SAUCY MINX" - BEN
BRONTE FALL
WINTER
JULY 27TH, 2023
Call the CDC because Brontë Fall’s Winter EP is the most infectious pop performance this side of a Swiftie soiree. Six songs of indie-pop ingenuity that bask in the glow of nostalgia while coming to terms with adulthood, self-validation, and the realization that logic is often lost to the lathe of love. These tracks were composed amidst the mayhem of 2020. However, those trying times, translated here, have become wisps of warmth and welcome to that winter. Teri Bracken, the talented singer/songwriter behind the moniker, can perform these songs on a bevy of instruments, be it violin or keys or guitar. And with a smooth vocal delivery the 19 minutes and 19 seconds are a breezy blow-by that beckons the replay button.
In “Indiana”, three perfect minutes of soft guitar strums over studio beats and subtle synths, we get a crash course of that yearning for simpler times. As kids we all desire the day we can break free from parental rules and regulations. We pine for autonomy. To grow old. But once those lines are crossed life and love take on a weight of their own, often at the expense of fun and freedom. While Teri herself grew up in Illinois, the sentiment here is sound. The song expires perfectly with a pause before the final coda comes in: “Midwest, at dusk, Indiana / Little girls playing patty cake / I’m singing Rhiannon.”
Winter is not all nostalgia. It’s a mature look at the struggles of love and relationships and the myriad forms love may manifest itself. Sometimes we have the strength to choose ourselves over a demanding partner. Hopefully it’s “Every (Damn) Time.” Sometimes we fall to Cupid’s arrow when trying to “Outsmart Love.” And sometimes we wish for someone “To Be The One” even though the puzzle pieces of our hearts will never fit. Teri Bracken as Brontë Fall has delivered a delightful collection of tunes that you should turn your attention to. Great music deserves an audience. Go forth and follow.
- TRENT RYAN SMITH