Bloom by Brahny
by Kyla Rain
I remember the first time I heard this song and saw this video. It was like walking into a dream. You remember being there, feeling it, this strange sense of nostalgia for something that’s never really happened.
“Remember back when you were young, summer nights were love. Liquor melts into your heart, starbursts on your tongue. Waking up to restless minds drowned, in memories. Fever dreams in vivid reds, calming by your touch.”
That’s what I want to make people feel with my work, with my writing, photography, music. I know now, a physical manifestation of that emotion. While the internet lacks in the amount of literal information about rising artist, brahny, (besides the fact that he resides in Toronto, Canada), there is a hidden treasure trove of poetic lyrics and hazy backtracks that tell us all we need to know.
Currently, there are thousands of “hits” flooding the airwaves with empty meanings and hooks engineered to stick in our minds, for better or for worse. With this, an entire world of distinctly individual, and hypnotic tracks are lost (or rather, hidden). This is a point in time at which I tip my hat to platforms like Soundcloud, YouTube, and Bandcamp, that are making it easier for smaller musicians to get their voices into the world. Who make it easier for dreamers like me, to find the little bit of dizzy, heartfelt love.
In the song, ‘Bloom’, brahny depicts the swirling sensation of adolescence, filled with first loves and blind passion. This is something I hope to carry throughout my life, something that I know a lot of people lose along the way.
The ideal of adolescence.
Growing up doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give that up, it just means that you have to work harder to keep it.
“Young hearts feel passion, strong fast and blind. New eyes see colors vivid by design. Young ears might just hear heartbeats in the ground. Green eyes see the stars drop down to our sides.”
The video starts out with a bit of a monotone sequence, several faces in daily motion. Then the real magic happens, when the laundromat fills the screen. Suddenly soft dreamy pinks flood each illuminated individual, highlighting the musicians and listeners present. Someone better be taking notes right now, because a show like this needs to happen. Not a set for a video, but an actual concert.
Tell me, how magical that would be?
I feel like sometimes the energy of a song can fade when paired with ill-fitting visuals, but not with works like this. The music video for ‘Bloom’ was directed by Monsune, with cinematography by Carl Andre Solis, and produced by Jonathan Matta. This seems to be the perfect formula for a clear work of art, so my heart goes out to you. I can’t even explain how many times I’ve watched this video, listened to this song, with an all-encompassing urgency to experience that feeling.
The same feeling put forth by ‘Bloom’.
It genuinely shocks me, the fact that this musician isn’t already in the spotlight. So much raw talent aught to be noticed on a larger scale, and that’s part of the reason why I’m writing this, sharing my thoughts with you. The other reason is for the benefit of the listener. I wish I’d had exposure to brahny a lot sooner than I did, so I hope you’ll take my advice.