Brunette are a Brooklyn based duo (that’s New York City, fact fans!), comprised of Sho and Adrien Epsy. Apparently they also need to drink more water, and call their moms (that’s mums, English people and anglophiles)! Brunette also make music inspired by the likes of D’Angelo, Jai Paul and Kaytranada, which puts them firmly in my wheelhouse.
Their song Wash Out is an exploration of the uncertain yet thrilling experience that comes from existing in a ‘vaguely defined’ romantic relationship... Living with the pressure of something that could either be a brief fling, or a life-defining experience.
What struck me about Wash Out is the way it takes a really stripped back musical production and layers it with a vocal performance that feels both effortless yet impassioned. It is yearning and yet somehow carries it with swagger. Snatched vocals combine to create brief harmonies that give this a real feeling of power, the stripped back electronic bass lines and sharp drum hits only emphasising that.