Becoming Human – “Ease The Pain”
Becoming Human – “Ease The Pain” – Single Review
I always welcome the opportunity to jump back into the world of Becoming Human, and metaphorically-speaking, what better time to do that than when returning from vacation? I had the opportunity to check the latest single out a few times before I left, and I’ve already spun it several more since I’ve been back…suffice it to say, I’m back in my chair where I belong, ready to tell ya what the verdict is on “Ease The Pain” and whether or not this project from Jordan Barney is gonna go three for three in my opinion.
While I know that not everyone out there would necessarily be following along with my every word and I certainly wouldn’t blame you for that…if you have been, I think you probably know the answer about what I think about “Ease The Pain.” And to be completely fair to ME, how could I not? Jordan’s already proven himself to be extraordinarily attentive to all the details that make Alt-Rock powerful and moving – it’d be extremely rare to find an artist like this dude dropping the ball after showing us such consistency and professionalism in his previous material. Not saying that this hasn’t happened before in other bands/artists – of course it does – but admittedly, Barney seems built of a whole different mettle.
Fun fact though…you can become human in a whole variety of ways if you wanna. There’s a Becoming Human Jazz trio based out of New York…there’s a Becoming Human from North Carolina that claims to sound like “Jeff Buckley covering Bruce Cockburn”…you can find an Alt-Metal Becoming Human from Grand Rapids as well…the internet is a weird, wild, and wonderful place I tell ya. Anyhow. I’m sure they’re all great at what they do, and I hope for all their sake’s that they don’t really have to experience the burden of Becoming Human for real one day – but the only one that is on my radar and playlists is this one here.
So let’s see…let’s see…what can I tell ya? I think right off the drop y’all can tell what I was saying earlier was true – LISTEN to the glistening production and the sparkle & shine on this new single will ya? The immaculate rumble of the bass…the sensational POP of the snare…the gritty angels-meets-demons type of tone you get in the weight of the guitars…everything sounds freakin’ fantastic as you’d honestly expect it would from Becoming Human (Barney’s Version, based out of Texas), even with this whole solo project still being relatively new to the scene. Like, I try not to have too many ‘expectations’ of anyone out there to begin with, let alone those that are still taking their first steps into the spotlight – but then there are those folks like Jordan who you can’t help but hold to a higher standard because you know how capable they are of getting every damn thing right all the time. So yeah…as I alluded to, you’re not gonna find a hair out of place when it comes to the performance of “Ease The Pain” – dude’s playing it perfectly, the sound selection is stellar once again, and the guy’s got a naturally great singing voice too. All that stuff checks the right box, just as we knew that it would, because this guy’s really THAT good.
Of course, that leaves us with the question of what should we talk about then, don’t it? Is it as simple as giving “Ease The Pain” a solid passing grade & enthusiastic shout-out of approval, then just moving on? Has it ever been that simple on these pages of ours? Again – I think you know the answer to that.
Here’s what I’ll say. I think each single I’ve heard from Becoming Human so far offers something fairly different, and all-in-all, we’re getting a great sense of the scope of sound and dynamics this dude works with. The debut single “Scars,” which I reviewed back in November of 2022, arguably had more of an accessible sound to it overall I suppose…maybe a bit more on the Alt-Pop side of what you’d hear in Becoming Human’s catalog. The second cut I heard was called “Goodbye To When,” which still had more than enough appeal to reach a large audience, but also shifted the sound more into an Alt-Rock ballad of sorts…it was a whole emotional ordeal and I fully got caught up in it…I still do when I listen. Catchy and memorable tune though…I maintain, that was a significant step forward in many ways. As for “Ease The Pain,” I think it’s probably fair to say that Becoming Human is dialing back the universal degrees of accessibility in favor of shifting gears a bit more towards the sound I think Jordan’s really looking to put out there. That’s not to say it’s without appeal, that’s not at all what I’m saying – but I am saying that if we’re comparing it to the previous two tracks I’ve heard, then sure, “Ease The Pain” has got a heavier demeanor and more of a sludgy pace to it, despite its absolutely brilliant clarity in the mix. So for some of us…especially those of us that are more familiar with the roots of where Becoming Human’s sound comes from…there’s no reason to hesitate on pushing play – we’re pretty much all guaranteed to dig “Ease The Pain.” As for the rest out there, to describe it for ya…you’d be looking at a song that’s more of a cross between something like you’d find in the band Failure and Staind…and if that sounds like it might be a leap for what you typically enjoy, well…I suppose you’ve got that to consider.
That being said, I genuinely believe that a really well-made tune always stands an incredible chance of winning people over – and that’s a genuine part of what makes Becoming Human so seriously special. The quality of the music from production to performance simply never disappoints, and no matter what you might be expecting even with the highest expectations, Jordan always finds a way to exceed all that. That can certainly be said of “Ease The Pain” here…sonically, the guy’s outdone himself – this single packs a healthy punch with its depth and dimension, and is extremely satisfying to listen to on that level. In terms of its accessibility and universal appeal, it’s a bit more niche, that’s it, that’s all, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that whatsoever…not every tune out there is necessarily for everyone anyway. I’m sure he’s aware of that already…I doubt I’m telling him anything new in that regard when the hooks in both “Scars” and “Becoming Human” were as memorable as they were. Making music is about so much more than figuring out what the combination is to unlock hit after hit after hit though…sometimes it’s about making songs to challenge ourselves with new skills or artistically, sometimes it’s about making a track that might be more for you than it would be for the masses, sometimes it’s about one of the other ten million things it could be about other than simply finding your way to number one on every chart. The most important thing you can ever do, in my opinion, is put yourself in the conversation by making sure you do everything you can with the material you’re working with, and I’d absolutely go to the mat screaming about how Jordan does that perfectly with his music as Becoming Human, every single time.
“Ease The Pain” might rank third for myself personally out of the three singles I’ve reviewed here on these pages of ours, but it’s still three-for-three when it comes to making music I’d happily listen to, you know what I mean? Dude’s only competing with himself at this point, which is mind-blowing when you think about how long this project has been around for and how many years are still ahead of Becoming Human. I continue to be a HUGE fan of what Barney creates, and I’ll always be stoked about hearing whatever might come next. “Ease The Pain” still scores a solid win as far as I’m concerned. I might be convinced the best years of this project are yet to come, but that ain’t gonna stop me from listening now! Jordan just gets it in a way that the rest don’t, and you’ll know what I mean the moment you hear any tune from Becoming Human…something about this dude’s music hits different in all the right ways.
Accept no substitutes! Find out more about Becoming Human from the official website: https://www.becominghumanatx.com
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