Well what can I say? Ayrshire Indie alternative six piece, Brownbear have just launched their latest single, ‘Retro’, and with it being their first release since their debut album,’Where is Home?’ in 2018, it’s clear the band are back and bigger than ever!
The intro of ‘Retro’ oozes the listener instantly with a rhythmic solid drum beat introducing the soft backing vocals that collide perfectly with the jazz influenced guitar riff. There’s a relaxing element to the style of the song which inevitably soothes the listener. It’s one of those songs that can automatically change your mood with it’s summer feel good vibes. Listen to ‘Retro’ after a bad day and within minutes you’ll immediately feel better. That’s what the power of music is all about and Brownbear certainly creates the type of music that helps you escape reality for a bit… the ultimate therapy.
‘Retro’ is incredibly unique to anything I’ve heard from Brownbear before and that’s exactly why they’re one of the best bands in the Scottish music scene today. Yeah like every band they do have their own individual style but not one of their songs are similar showing the wide range of variety and song-writing talent the band have. In a industry that has such a large amount of music on the scene, it is so important for a band to stand out and Brownbear certainly do that! They’ve moved into a totally different direction with ‘Retro’ and judging by the reaction since the release, it’s certainly worked!
It’s not just the music that makes the single stand out but the lyrics too. Matthew Hickman, founder and front-man of the band is an extraordinary lyricist in which he writes about real matters in our society such as love, heartbreak, race and mental health. The lyrics in Retro ‘How can you say you love me? When you taught me to hate myself’ relate to the race inequalities that Matt has faced throughout his life. A continuous issue that still needs to be addressed within our society today and the powerful message is continuously expressed throughout the track.
The outro concludes perfectly with a soothing guitar solo alongside the striking poise backing vocals that keep the chords steady throughout leaving the listeners wanting more. This is just the start for what’s to come for the Brownbear and I for one cannot wait to see what else they have in store for us!
Matt recently performed ‘Retro’ alongside some other Brownbear classics through a Facebook live stream in association with Freckfest in aid of North Ayrshire food banks and in just a few hours he helped raise over £3000!
Brownbear are set to headline the legendary King Tuts on the 6th June (subjects due to change) which you do not want to miss! Get your tickets here: https://www.livenation.co.uk/show/1308369/brownbear/glasgow/2020-06-06/en
CHECK OUT BROWNBEAR’S SOCIALS BELOW
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/brownbearofficial/
TWITTER: @BROWNBEARBAND
INSTAGRAM: @BROWNBEAR_OFFICIAL
The Music Files 