Heartbreaking Bravery

When last week’s chapter of releases came to a close, a handful of exceptional records found release, including the latest from site favorites Bent Denim, Town & Country. The duo’s previous release, the Diamond Jubilee EP premiered on this site last year and went a long way in establishing the project’s tonal and overall consistency. They’ve yet to make a bad record and have kept on an ascending trajectory in terms of quality (something that every band strives for but few can ever achieve).

Town & Country is a gentle creature, showing signs of curious affection and minimal affectation, the duo settling into a comfortable confidence with their identity they’ve established. Each song finds Bent Denim leaning into heartrending ambient pop numbers that have flourishes of a multitude of other genres but never seem to exist outside of they very distinct and specific niche they’ve crafted for themselves.

On the opening stretch of Town & Country, any single one of the first handful of songs could be enough to reduce a listener to tears if it hits them at the right moment. That’s the inherent power buried inside Bent Denim’s music, it’s a subtle, magnetic pull but once it finds an object to entice, the effect is overwhelming. Each of these songs is imbued with so much tenderness and empathy that it’s next to impossible not to find yourself moved at any given moment.

Creatively, the record’s as ambitious as anything in their sterling discography, finding new nuances and new heights in exploring their own experimentation. Whether it’s something as simple as dramatically boosting the keys in the mix or as complicated as slightly tweaking the vocal layers on Town & Country, the choices don’t just work but serve a unified purpose. Through impeccable production and intuitive sequencing, Town & Country stands strong as the most complete of Bent Denim’s work.

Unfailingly gorgeous, tethered with meticulous through lines (in both narration and composition) and unified by a soft, weary delivery that still retains a sense of hope, Town & Country is another in a sting of gems from Bent Denim. One of the best ambient-leaning records of 2018, this is a record worth holding onto for isolated summer nights and quiet moments of introspection. It;s an album worthy of being kept in as many collections as possible.

Listen to Town & Country below and pick it up here.