Rebecca Binnendyk – Brick By Brick
We used to be good together / How did we get from there to here?” croons Rebecca Binnendyk in the title track and first single from her forthcoming album Brick By Brick, and although her voice is stained with an aching melancholy, there’s a sense of reflection in her words that is actually rather empowering. Binnendyk is being as vulnerable with us as a pop singer can in this song, and though she’s still in the process of making a name for herself on the international level, she’s sounding like a well-traveled, seasoned professional in this stunning new single.
Both the piano and the guitar parts that we hear in “Brick By Brick” are just as evocative as any of the actual verses are, if not a little more so in a couple of key moments. The chorus is riddled with an instrumental panache that comes close to overtaking Binnendyk’s lead vocal, but even at their mightiest, the background melodies never manage to steal the thunder away from the true star of this show. Binnendyk has a commanding presence in this track and its music video, and it definitely has a strong effect on how we listen to the song.
This mix is sublimely polished, but that said, the overproduced tininess of the pop mainstream is wholly missing from the music. The video for “Brick By Brick” is similarly well done; instead of wasting our time with a lot of predictable frills and an external plot that has nothing to do with the actual narrative of the song, Binnendyk gives us an organic, unfanciful performance against the backdrop of utterly breathtaking scenery. She’s keeping it simple, and in doing so, making sure that we stay focused on what really counts here – the substance of the lyrics and the harmonies that surround them.
There are a lot of exciting singer/songwriters coming out of the Canadian pop underground right now, but I think that Rebecca Binnendyk proves herself to be one of the best in this latest release, which is undeniably one of the smartest indie singles that I’ve listened to in a while.
I’m fairly certain that we haven’t seen the full scope of what this artist can accomplish in the studio yet – only because she’s in the process of coming into her own as a composer and as a vocalist – but as far as I’m concerned, she’s submitted a tough act for her closest rivals in and out of Canada to follow in this awesome song and music video combo.
If you enjoyed Rebecca Binnendyk’s Brick By Brick, check out her official website by clicking here. Give her a like on Facebook by clicking here & a follow on Twitter by clicking here.
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