Valley
Self-Release, 2023
8/10
A youngster from Canada who know calls Minnesota home, this debut EP from Colin Bracewell illustrates a talent and vision that far exceeds his years, where comparisons to Bon Iver or John Mayer won’t be hard to imagine.
“The Cage” begins the listen with Bracewell’s expressive voice and firmly strummed acoustic guitar that’s full of emotion and sincerity, and “Not Today” follows with a poetic and heartfelt delivery of stirring song craft that has Bracewell hitting some pretty high notes.
The back half of the listen welcomes the intimacy of “Page”, where the setting builds into a powerful and cathartic EP highlight, while “In The Valley” exits with Bracewell’s falsetto present amid the meticulous balance of beauty and tension.
An extremely accomplished listen for an artist barely old enough to legally drink, Bracewell adds R&B, jazz and soulful moments to his formula that’s confessional, eloquent, and very likely to make him a rising songwriter from the always fertile Twin Cities scene.
Travels well with: Jojo Green- The Summer Tree; Eli Gardiner- Live In Minneapolis