Brick Turpun Brings his Trade and His Music Together
A new single release from Brick Turpin comes forth with this very rootsy kind of folk approach that sort of bleeds into classic rock at times, focusing mostly on doubled-up acoustic guitars, and really vintage-feeling vocals that all come together with what sounds like live percussion, but it also has this particular kind of warmth to it at the same time.
"White Van Man" definitely rolls forward with a great rhythm and flow. It's got a lot of backing vocals that come into play that deliver higher notes and different melodies that sort of fill the space, and both give the track more depth and also add more catchiness to it.
The tone of the instrumentation in the vocals all fit into that classic rock, late '60s type of aesthetic. There's something about how it was recorded or performed that gives it this sense of very classic feeling music, and I really like that because that gave me a sense of familiarity.
The percussion is outstanding because the snares are just rolling, it's got hints of a southern undertone, and a strange sense. I think it's the drums that really give it that sensation, but it also makes me think of bands like the Violent Femmes at times.
I think this is because of the acoustics and the drumming, especially. The way the tone of the snare drum is, as well, has this beautiful feel and sound to it.
He also sounds great when he doubles his vocals, which he pretty much does the entire time. The song has a unique way of growing, and during certain parts of the song, you have amazing harmonies that do this great descending line, and a lot of the stuff just bounces around in your brain for hours after the song has ended.
It's upswing, fun, colorful, but also has this uniquely vintage aesthetic, and that's the thing that keeps pulling me back in.
He really was able to nail this feel, and it's one of my favorite aspects of the music itself.
Here's the coolest part of the entire thing, to me: Brick Turpin is a professional builder and bricklayer. The music that he writes beckons his Tradesman profession and lifestyle, so he's able to take these elements of classic folk and rock and write songs about his actual bricklaying profession.
This is one of the first times I've ever heard of the term Trade Folk.
But it makes 100% sense.
I love how he was able to take this aspect of his life and bring it into his music, combining them to create a sort of atmosphere and vibe that is all his own.
He's definitely a great storyteller, because the lyrics can be quite descriptive, and paint great pictures as the song unfolds, and I really enjoyed the flavorful sort of rhythm and energy that the track delivered as well.
This is definitely for those who enjoy classic folk or classic rock, because to me, it sort of combines those two, even though the song is all acoustic guitar-based.
At times, it also makes me think of bands like the Rolling Stones, for example.
The song has a particular kind of bounce to it, and it's fun because it draws you into it even more. You can get into the pocket of the groove, and you find yourself bobbing your head along with the track almost immediately.
It was able to build the song out so that it felt lush and full-bodied, but still stripped down so that you're paying attention to the lyrics as well.
This was super fun and really well done, and as far as we can tell, this may be part of an upcoming full album release coming later this year.
I definitely can't wait to hear more like this. I certainly hope the record gives a lot more of this kind of songwriting and performance, because it has all of this character attached to it, and that's one of the things that you end up loving the most about it.
At any rate, definitely check this out as soon as you can because it's well worth your time. While we're waiting for the album, you should also check out some of the previous releases, mostly dropped just last year, with one exception.
Take a deep dive into this project because we're going to hear more from it soon, and I know it's going to be good.
Check it out so you can see where I'm coming from.
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