Br'er | Sea of Doubt (Video)

Check out this new video. I’m a big fan of this bewildering and pretty track from Br’er called “Sea of Doubt”, a song from the band’s 2011 record “City of Ice”. It reminds me a bit of the music of Anticon artist DM Stith, with its eclecticism. It has the feeling of an artist who really understands arrangement and composition. This song is more like a work of art, abstract and engaging. It may sound strange at first, but there’s a real uniqueness of approach here — swirling warped synth and tantalizing melody combines with swaying vocals and intriguingly poetic lyricism: “Your voice would haunt me / Body would taunt me / Turn green with envy / Feeling you knew too well / This will would wither / Body would quiver / Snow flakes would shiver / As they brushed against your frosty skin.” If the beautiful slow climb of the song weren’t enough, it blows up into a eerie layering of wintry melody, waltzing rhythm, the march of a military percussion, and harmonized or double-tracked lead vocals. It’s a hypnotic snow fall, a white out of iced fog. A manic symphony. This Philadelphia band is led by Benjamin Schurr. The wonderful accompanying stop-motion video was directed and animated by Brett Marren. Be sure to listen to the band’s newest EP, featuring three tracks, digitally published via Everything Is Chemical. – David D. Robbins Jr.

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