Fade, the new single from songstress Brielle Ansems, weaves a tale of young heartbreak with an ethereal composition, to create something beautifully somber, yet inspirational.
Ansems begins Fade with her guitar and a siren-like chant that eases the listener into the song’s sonic landscape. This chant perfectly encapsulates Ansems’ soothing, melodic, yet distant vocal performance. A two-part harmony is responsible for the distant feel of the vocals, invoking an angelic cross between the harmonies heard on The Cranberries’ Dreams and The Beach Boys’ Our Prayer. This combination is pure ear candy and captures the meaning of the song’s title, seemingly phasing out of existence as quickly as it came, but not without leaving the listener wanting more.
Equally as successful in embodying the title, is Fade’s instrumental composition. As with any folk melody, acoustic guitars are prominent players throughout and Ansems’ talent on the instrument cannot be denied. The VIP here, however, is the sweeping, almost dreamlike violin, which lays the foundation for Fade’s sonic landscape.
The violin is also the only instrument, besides the guitar, that is present throughout all of Fade’s runtime. A piano and drum also appear semi-sporadically throughout, but these appearances are brief. A brief appearance does not make these instruments meaningless. Just like Ansems’ vocals, this brevity, combined with the dreamlike violin and guitar, make the listener feel like the world around them is passing by in a haze. Fitting for a song about the aftermath of a relationship’s end.
As gifted as Ansems is, Fade would not be the gem it is, without producer Adam Gallant. Gallant’s ear for lush soundscapes audibly echoes the works of George Martin and Brian Wilson. Particularly the latter’s work on albums like Pet Sounds. Mixed with Ansems’ natural talent, the result is true auditory bliss.
Fade is a single and the opening track from Ansems debut LP, This New Hurricane. Ansems describes the record as being about “realizing what’s broken and acknowledging the desire for something better.” Fade makes this theme clear from the off with its sad, yet hopeful lyrics. If the full experience is as beautiful as its opener, then listeners will no doubt gladly dive into the eye of Ansems’ new hurricane.