track of the week ~ bry ~ 'don't go alone'

by 05:06

Bry
For fans of⁞► Snow Patrol, The Killers
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As one of the pioneering Youtube musicians of the 21st Century, Brian 'Bry' O'Reilly has built a mammoth fanbase out of nothing more than a video camera and raw charisma. Now hurtling out of cyberspace and into the real world, the Irish songwriter's debut album is due out this year, thus putting the finishing touches to an extraordinary first chapter to the Dubliner's musical career.

'Don't Go Alone' is the first single to be taken from an album a long time in the making. Having traveled the globe with an acoustic in hand, it's fair to say that Bry has more than a few stories to tell; and here we see him again on the backfoot, holding on to a reality he can't change, to a moment slipping into the past.


 After so many years as a lone troubadour, it would be fair to expect a few teething problems with his new full band set-up, but thankfully Bry's freshly crafted stadium sound is perfectly suited to this new line-up. 'Don't Go  Alone's pulsating drum beats and subtle keys mark a big departure from his earlier work, (with the exception perhaps of the brilliant 'Your Life Over Mine') but elements still remain. The falsetto which runs so smoothly in the chorus, that unmistakable Irish lilt and the open fragility which saw an army of internet followers fall in love with him.

As a tune, 'Don't Go Alone' sounds like a set closer.  Hook filled verses, a sing along chorus and a big production from Greg Wells. Listen carefully to the outro and you'll hear elements of the Wells produced twenty one pilots record 'Vessel', with 'Ode To Sleep's cheerier moments being the most obvious reference point.

Recording his debut album in LA may be the most rock 'n' roll thing Bry has accomplished in his career so far, but with each new stepping stone comes the recurring feeling that he'd probably rather be at home, watching Harry Potter with his wife; he might just wait until festival season is over first, though.

Taylor Johnson

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