Jacob Brand – “Love In Disguise”
Jacob Brand – “Love In Disguise” – Single Review
This dude right here has been pumpin’ out singles left, right, and center. Ain’t all that far away from his debut record either if memory serves me correctly…Jacob Brand’s album Beyond should be coming out around the corner in April…on the…15th! Apologies for all the ellipsis, not only is it just how I tend to write anyway, but I had to double check the date while I was typing this out to make sure it was correct. Yes! The 15th – thar will be music, it will be from Jacob Brand, make sure to mark your calendars y’all.
In the meantime, chances are, this will be the last single in between now & then, but don’t quote me on that…you never really know! “Love In Disguise” is without a doubt my favorite of the bunch so far. It’s been an interesting ride in getting to know Brand through his music…I know all these songs are gonna end up on the same album in a bit here, but it still seems like he’s showing a genuine progression already. “Beauty To Recognize” was alright and a decent start, “Game Changer” was quite arguably a better tune, and then this third track, “Love In Disguise” is gettin’ dangerously close to something that could bridge the gap between the theatrical side of his sound and like…whatever you wanna call it I guess – regular music? “Love In Disguise” is still very much a performance-minded piece, and I’d imagine that Jacob’s music is always going to make that a priority, because that’s who he truly is and what he’s all about. That can be a tremendous asset goin’ forward, and I’m positive that it will be for him – Brand commits to the things he does, and ultimately, that freakin’ matters a whole lot. While I think he’s got a style that’s definitely going to speak to a certain slice of the pie when it comes to the public overall, the fact that he gives everything he does everything he’s got is going to earn him a loyal audience without question. No one says anyone has gotta do things just like everyone else does, but when it comes to how an artist chooses to perform material that’s generally outside of the box, it had better come with true commitment or it’s gonna be dead in the water. And that’s what I’ve been tellin’ ya – Brand has got no issues there whatsoever…this dude was born to perform and he’s embracing his moment with open arms. Hence all the excitement he’s been showing, and all the singles coming out.
He’s got quite the upper register when it comes right down to it, and he puts that to good use on “Love In Disguise.” It’s not overused in this single, but it is noticeably more-so than you hear typically in most music – make sense? That being said, ask Freddie Mercury how it worked out for him back when he was alive and recording…I’m sure he’d just smile. Another perfect example of a guy that went left instead of right like everyone else, and he went on to become a legend because of choices like that. I’ll be real with ya though…I found it’s usually Jake’s lower tones that delivered the most effective hooks in “Love In Disguise,” but in terms of what stands out in his performance, it’s a lot more to do with the higher he climbs with his notes and the strength he can hit those higher notes with. The biggest hook in this song is actually the most underused of the bunch – it’s right at the piano break around the 2:30 mark – and there’s another that’s not too far down the road when he puts a bit more venom & fierceness into his voice just past the 2:50 mark. Both of those spots are the real highlights of “Love In Disguise” to me, and if anything Brand moves past them all too quickly. The very start of the song as well, with the acappella vocals is a major moment too…I’d have had no problem hearing that part resurface at some point along the way if it came back…and just past the forty-five second mark, which is the same as the piano part later on down the road, shows up early on in this song with a different vibe that also works.
Basically, there’s a lot here that gives “Love In Disguise” a solid chance at gettin’ our approval, and I’d say that Jacob’s put himself in position to have his most successful single to-date with this one as a result of having so many clever moments in the writing of this tune. T’ain’t gonna be the happiest tune that you’re gonna hear this year, but it’s got relevant & relatable insight about perception, one-sided feelings, and the hell that relationships can be if you aren’t too careful. It’s almost a Progressive style of Pop in the sense that there’s not actually as much repetition as you’d normally find in music…not in the sense that it’s basically the same in that verse/chorus/verse type of formula we typically know. If he does repeat something, you’ll still find it’s changed somehow…and while I ain’t saying that’s the wrong approach, because there are really no rules in the world of music & art, understanding what the real hooks are and exploiting their rich savory goodness a little bit more with a reappearance ain’t a bad idea either. It’s a tried, tested, and true method that has worked for as long as any of us can remember. As with everything in life, it’s all about finding that balance, but there’s no doubt that after listening to “Love In Disguise,” Jake seems to be heading on the right path that’ll lead him to the results he wants.
If you wanna hear more of our thoughts on Jacob Brand’s music, make sure to hit up the most recent episode of SBS Live This Week where we’ve got him in the spotlight by clickin’ right here. We’ve also got plans in the works to feature him in an episode of his own later on this year, so stay tuned for that too! In the meantime, make sure to find out more about him from his official page at Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/jacobbrandofficial
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