EDDIE BERMAN – ARTIST SPOTLIGHT & SINGLES REVIEW

Eddie Berman is a Portland based singer/songwriter that has released several singles from his upcoming album, Broken English, dropping January 31st via Nettwerk Records. Broken English follows his 2018 full length entitled Surrounded By Sound where he covers 10 songs from such outstanding artists as Nathaniel Rateliff and Kurt Vile. In 2019, Berman also put out an album of originals. Frontiers offers 11 extraordinary tracks. “The Match”, “Highlands” and “Waiting On You” were profound highlights.

Eddie Berman‘s voice is quite exceptional. His raspy tone and emotive sensibilities creates a spectral element to his pensive music. His lyrics are immensely reflective and musing. Berman‘s themes cover many paramount mental health and social issues including alienation and solitude. Yet his music still carries hints of hope and salvation. Throughout, his vocals convey a sense of optimism even though his subject matter is somewhat somber.

 

Earlier in 2021, Berman let go two singles, “Taurus” and “Cherokee Rose”. “Cherokee Rose” is a beautifully constructed track that is enhanced by its sublime simplicity. The guitar has a solemn ambiance while Berman‘s vocal resonates with staid gravity. The desolate nature of the tempo augments the ethereal delicacy of the song. “Cherokee Rose” truly highlights the expansive nature of Berman‘s songwriting.

Next, Berman let go the title track of the new LP, “Broken English”. The tune carries a slightly eerie aura with its haunting melody and pronounced vocals. The song is about the despondent that are kept downtrodden by the world’s ruling powers  Berman  expounds:

“When I wrote the song “Broken English”, I was thinking how especially isolated, rootless and untethered people had become, and that was back in 2019, a good six months before anyone had heard the term Covid. The past year and a half have put those feelings into hyperdrive”.

“Broken English” was followed by “Water In The Barrel” which was inspired by Zen philosophy and the 20th century professor Alan Watts. It’s a subdued folk song which reminds one of an old country standard. Berman‘s voice once again distributes a powerfully tender yet robust lament full of restrained fervor. The steel guitar and woeful horn adds to the earnest pulse. “Water In The Barrel” is a masterfully arranged composition that captures the spirit.

Berman‘s latest single is “The Wheel”.  As per Berman:

“The Wheel is another reflective single that deals with the destructive power of habit energy and the need to reconnect with our own humanity”.

He goes further to explain:

“The Wheel explores a different kind of separation- a separateness from feeling like a real human being in a real, natural world. The digital hallucinatory experience of everyday-life is so filled with distractions that make you anxious, and anxieties that push you to distraction. It’s hard to remember that I’m an actual living person sometimes”.

“The Wheel’ is divine in nature and a true representation of Berman‘s brilliance.

Berman had planned to record Broken English like his previous LPs at the LA studio of longtime collaborator Pierre De Reeder (Mavis Staples/M. Ward) but that went out of the window with the global lockdown. So, he learned how to make the album remotely with his bandmates, the multi-instrumentalist Gabe Feenberg and drummer Max MacVeety.

Broken English is a perfect monument to passionate songwriting and arrestingly gripping lyrics. Berman has fashioned a contemplative masterpiece.

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To learn more about Eddie Berman, check out his Website

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Stream music:  Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud

Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon 

 

 

 

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