ALBUM REVIEW: Bruiser and Bicycle - Deep Country
Photo by Ariel Kenny
“Featuring sounds that can be as haunting as they can be festive and upbeat, with a mix of lyrical content spanning different relevant topics, the band takes you on a journey through their aptly named, Deep Country.”
By this point, maybe you’ve heard the Albany-based Bruiser and Bicycle’s fantastic singles “Waterfight” and/or "Sinister Sleep Shuffle” off of their forthcoming album, which releases today. Maybe you haven’t. While those tracks are some of the album’s highlights, they are also only the tip of the enigmatic iceberg that is their latest offering.
Featuring sounds that can be as haunting as they can be festive and upbeat, with a mix of lyrical content spanning different relevant topics, the band takes you on a journey through their aptly named, Deep Country. Self-billed as an anthology, the album really feels like self-contained sets of songs within the same universe.
Setting the stage is another highlight, opening track, “Dance and Devotion.” The song opens with a somber tone, utilizing a subdued, yet beautiful acoustic guitar part that is quickly trailed by an immediately intriguing vocal melody. The song continues to add layers with other instruments and voices, laying a foundation which eventually gets to its climax – one that in effect gives you a map for where you are about to go both lyrically and musically: “Pack your bags, we’re going through another deep country.” It’s been a while since I've heard a song act as effectively as an intro to an album, while being just as effective as a standalone track.
The next song and a half is a cathartic departure from where things leave off at the end of track one, releasing some of the tension that was built early on. All of a sudden you find yourself in a completely different place leading into track four, “Silence, Silence.” The band utilizes start-stops intertwined with a waltz that feels hypnotic, making it feel like a roadstop that allows the listener to take it all in. It also speaks to the push-and-pull nature of the entire work.
Case in point, the hypnosis is immediately broken by the next several tracks, starting with “21st Century Humor.” A blistering tune compared to everything that comes before, it effectively feels like it starts the next set of songs, with wider usage of keyboards and synthesizers and a more ‘60s psychedelic vibe through to track nine, “Like a Snake.” This tune feels like a funeral procession of sorts with a marching rhythm section, organ, and lyrics like, “We’re suspended as we sit and spin, if we die we’ll live again. Still nevertheless, charlatans profess, when there’s no universal quest, well then show yourself, confess.” It’s a captivating four minutes that doesn’t change all that much, but it works really well in the context of itself.
The last five tracks start with the aforementioned leading singles, “Waterfight,” followed by “Sinister Sleep Shuffle,” which is impressive in and of itself to have them both placed this late in the album, with so many other potential options to have chosen from already. There is a stark change in vibe here; it feels like the band is upping the ante until the finale, with title track, “Deep Country.” There is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek feel here, with the style of the song having roots in americana and country. It almost feels like the deep country one might expect was an elongated inside joke, putting serious tunes to the backdrop of how unserious the world can feel sometimes. Part of the beauty of this release might be all of the different ways it could be interpreted.
At the end of the day, this album is a masterclass on songwriting. The band’s ability to put 15 songs together that are different in many ways, but cohesive as a whole work was something really cool to experience. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if Bruiser and Bicycle once again garnered national attention for this release and it would absolutely be deserved.
Deep Country is out now on all major streaming services and Bandcamp.