Our Song of the Day is Please, the third and final single from Chris Brain‘s highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Steady Away’, released next week on the 6th of October. Chris emerged from Leeds’ vibrant folk scene in 2022 with his critically acclaimed and widely distributed debut album, Bound to Rise, reaching #22 in the UK Folk Charts.
The music video for Please, premiered below, was filmed on a windswept spring evening in the Yorkshire Dales under the Ribblehead Viaduct. The song conveys a sense of longing, regret, yearning and hopelessness, which is projected through the complexion of Chris’ face as it battles with the biting cold and hammering wind.
Recorded at The Nave in Leeds, the track has a sense of intimacy as it was recorded live to capture the full emotion of the song. Please is scattered with dappling piano and swelling strings, which create a moody atmosphere, emphasising the helpless message throughout.
Please, alongside his other two singles, suggest a more reflective and confident offering, accentuated by the warm string arrangements, reminiscent at times of Robert Kirby’s work with Nick Drake. Compared to his debut, there’s a more profound and deeper pastoral feel, which is also reflected in the tone and vintage qualities of the beautiful accompanying video by Will Killen. Without giving too much away (as a review will follow), the shift from debut to sophomore is quite transformational, and I strongly urge you to buy the album and get out there and see Chris performing live (dates and links below).
Order Steady Away
Buy Steady Away via Bandcamp (Digital/CD/Vinyl): https://chrisbrain.bandcamp.com/album/steady-away
Upcoming Shows
Oct 05 – Cobalt Studios, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Oct 08 – Northern Quarter, Huddersfield, UK
Oct 09 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK
Oct 14 – forty five vinyl cafe, York, UK
Oct 15 – Coopers Function Room, Leeds, UK
Oct 16 – The Jacaranda, Liverpool, UK
Oct 17 – The New Adelphi Club, Hull, UK
Oct 19 – Crumpsall Folk Club, Manchester, UK
Oct 21 – Wadsworth Community Centre, Hebden Bridge, UK
Oct 22 – Cafe #9, Sheffield, UK
Oct 26 – Groove Pad, Shipley, UK
Oct 31 – The Musician Pub, Leicester, UK
Nov 01 – Green Note, Camden, UK
Nov 02 – Cavern Club, Exeter, UK
Nov 03 – The Greenbank Pub, Bristol, UK
Website: chrisbrainmusic.com
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