Nathaniel Sutton – A Brighter Sound

Nathaniel Sutton – A Brighter Sound – EP Review

Our Canadian friend here is about to embark on one of the most exciting chapters of his lifetime, and considering what he’s been through over the past few years, I’d say he’s earned it.  As if the pandemic itself wasn’t difficult to navigate, Nathaniel Sutton ended up in the middle of a divorce during that same timeframe, compounding the stress of just trying to make it through to the other side.  A Brighter Sound is the result of finding that necessary outlet to survive, physically and emotionally.  It’s the record that you make if you’re ever hoping to somehow make another – because the only way out, is through.

So…lemme see…what can I tell ya about this guy from my neighbouring province over in Edmonton, Alberta.  I think you get it to start…you’ve already read that I’ve implied that this ain’t gonna be the happiest record that you’re gonna hear this year, and it’s not – but it is fair to say that making A Brighter Sound will lead him directly to brighter days.  In fact, I already know that’s true.  I’ve had a peek at the man’s dance card and it is FULL for the summer y’all.  Dude’s got this EP coming out in less than a month’s time, and then from what I can tell, it’s basically time to pack the van and get out there on the road.  He’s got plenty of shows lined up to support these songs, and rightly so; you won’t find a song on A Brighter Sound that’s anything less than a quality cut.  Nathaniel’s got a genuine gift for creating tunes that are guaranteed to hit ya like an evocative, thought-provoking punch to the gut in all the right ways.

As I was listening to “Razor Blades” start up and noting the hooks from the music to the microphone, I tried not to be too frustrated by the fact that he completely reminds me of something in my vast catalog of artists & bands over here…but it’s an obscure reference that’s been eluding me.  I might get it before this review is finished up…right now, the best comparison I’ve got for ya is that he’s a lot like what you’d imagine The Airborne Toxic Event’s songs would sound like if they were played by Snow Patrol.  Maybe that’s just The Boxer Rebellion.  Anyhow.  You get the idea…it’s that slow-burning emotional turmoil type of vibe, and again, a justified one considering that the last few years of his life have likely been the hardest ones Sutton has lived through.  I dig everything I’m hearing in “Razor Blades” though – I love the way it starts in its subtle gear, and I love the way that it continues to fill in…the drums are potent, the background atmosphere has remarkably vivid detail.  I’m not sure if that’s a synth or a harmonica we’re hearing, but I’m loving the way this track builds steam as it plays on.  I try not to be one of those people that gets too much joy outta someone else’s pain as a general rule, but I think that at least some of the blame is on Nathaniel…the guy’s written seriously impressive material and it’s on display from track one.

Is it Switchfoot?  Is that the reference in comparison that I’ve been looking for?  Stuff that you’d find on their breakthrough album The Beautiful Letdown?  Not the main hit “Meant To Live” but songs designed to shatter you like “Twenty-Four?”  Searching for this name I feel like I’m looking for is gonna eat me alive…apologies y’all, the computer running my brainwaves works so much slower these days…but that could be the right name I’ve been trying to recall.  Nope.  It’s not.  I just played “Twenty-Four” and that ain’t it.  I should delete this paragraph, but you all know I won’t…or, more accurately, that I didn’t, because you just read it.  I feel like the clue is staring me right in the ears every time Nathaniel sings “oh my darling” in the second song “Animals” – that’s the KEY to figuring this all out and I’m determined to do that by the time this is over.  “Animals” sounds like it was practically written for Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie…a song like this could slide right into that lineup and no one would question it, save for the fact that Sutton sounds more like a melodic version of Greg Graffin than he does Ben Gibbard.  Anyhow.  You’re all witnessing why I try not to place too much weight on comparisons in real time.  The reality is, Nathaniel’s being excellent at being Nathaniel, and that’s all he’ll ever need to be.  His writing speaks for itself…he’s open, vulnerable, honest, and real – and if he keeps that up, it’ll carry him a long, long way.  Birds Of Tokyo – is that it?  Bleh.  I’ve got such a one track mind.  Maybe it just is Snow Patrol and I’m chasing a ghost at this point…maybe I had it right in my first assessment.  It’s certainly a comparable vibe, especially the DNA of a song like “Animals” – I just can’t figure out why I’m not satisfied with that being THE comparison of all comparisons, which tells me there’s gotta be another.  Anyhow.  Rest assured, I’m providing you with the proper ballpark of where you’d find music like Nathaniel is making would thrive…if your playlists contain any of the names I’ve clumsily cited so far, chances are you’re really gonna love the music this guy is making too.  “Animals” is straight-up devastating, armed with the kind of gentle weight that’ll straight up crush you, and all the while that you’re being crushed, you can’t help but admire how damn good the song is as the life drains outta ya.  “I won’t come back for you when I wake up” is one of the best lines/hooks I’ve heard this year so far.  Nathaniel sings it with such sincerity, pain, and conviction that it’ll practically bring a tear to your eye.

I’d be interested in what people think about “All Night” in comparison to the first two tracks.  To me, I feel like it’s Nathaniel at about 75% of his capability when I consider how powerful and moving the first two tracks on this EP are…and I feel like he’s traded a bit of his songwriting in for the art of repetition & a hybrid vibe that could actually end up being more appealing to many people listening for its relevance to what’s out there in the scene right now.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad track by any measure – it’s just not quite as involved as “Animals” or “Razor Blades” was, and plays more like an interlude or an intro track would as a result – make sense?  “All Night” could very well branch out his audience even further though…Sutton’s working with more decisively crossover sound on this track, and although it’s shorter and doesn’t quite make as much use of his gift for words, it’s direct, to the point, and carries a vibe that could very well prove to be a fan favorite in the court of public opinion.  It all boils down to him figuring out what kind of artist he wants to be, and just like I’ve been struggling to pin down some kind of comparison I feel will accurately sum it all up in one shot, his versatility is an asset too.  By making tracks like “All Night,” he’s opening up doors for the future that’ll help keep his material fresh and the opportunities for him to do whatever he feels like doing as an artist available too.  I’d be the first to tell ya I’m more partial to the first two tracks, but I recognize that this third cut could be the most relevant of the bunch in some ways too, and to my credit, I’ve spun it nearly as much as I have with the rest.

Bah!  I’m never gonna figure it out.  It could be Frightened Rabbit…it could be Third Eye Blind…it could be the earliest Coldplay record or the more artistic & acoustic Radiohead tracks…there are many things that seem to come to mind in comparison, yet nothing feels like it’s the name I’ve been looking for.  I’m afraid I might have to concede the battle this time y’all…knowing full well that the moment I click publish on this review, it’ll come to me.  Like I said…at least you’ve got a remarkably vague idea of the realm of sound you could find Nathaniel in…and hopefully that’ll work well enough for ya while I’m over here drenched in sweat from the utter failure of being able to pin down the right name I’m looking for.  I’m “In Ruins” over here Nathaniel!  I have joined the man in despair, albeit for completely different reasons.  In reality, “In Ruins” is about the lowest of lows…far lower than not being able to conjure up some kind of comparison that likely wouldn’t be accurate enough anyhow.  It’s about discovering the bottom, where love has vacated and the black hole of nothingness has set in.  In our own ways, we’ve all reached this horrific state in our thoughts, feelings, and emotions at some point in life along the way – that’s the thing y’all…the ups and downs are a natural part of this ride we’re on, and the real trick is to find a way to appreciate both parts for the uniqueness they provide to the human experience.  It’s practically impossible to do while you’re in the grip of whatever situation or scenario is troubling you at the time, but hindsight, time, and distance eventually offer you some solace, comfort, and healing.  Nathaniel is highly effective when he’s at his most devastated…”In Ruins” is remarkably forthright and honest, unfiltered and raw…it’s REAL emotions you’re hearing, and those are always certainly the most powerful.  We connect to a song like “In Ruins” because of how authentic it truly is.  Like I was tellin’ ya from the get-go, it’s because he’s been willing to go where most writers wouldn’t dare, that he’ll find a catharsis in making this EP that’ll allow him the ability to make another as a result.  You’ve gotta write these feelings out of the dark & into the daylight…and once you do that, you can find your way to other things again.  Turning tragedy into triumph is what he’s done here though, and make no mistake about that – there will be a ton of people that will connect to his words and the evocative nature of his sound & be incredibly thankful that Nathaniel has been willing to be as honest & direct as he’s been on this EP.

If you’re asking me what the main single is…I feel like there’s a good chance I’d reply with the final track on this record, called “The Metaphor.”  As far as I’ve seen, this was one of three cuts that got the advance release treatment if you’re savvy and know where to look online…*ahem *cough BANDCAMP – which puts it in good company with both “Animals” and “Razor Blades” that had been released prior.  All three of these choices tells me that Nathaniel not only knows his sound, but he’s got a solid understanding of where his biggest opportunities to reach the masses are too.  Like I’ve been tellin’ ya, there’s not a bad song to be found in this set of five, but it’s still crucial to have a grip on what the best ways to present the music to the people are, and Sutton obviously knows where his strongest material is.  “All Night” is a good track to round out a set of five, and “In Ruins” is probably a bit too on the direct & devastating side of sound to really be a single, but every other track on this EP made for a strong candidate for that single-worthy status, and each of those tunes are bound to be noticed by anyone out there listening.  “The Metaphor” is laden with hooks and accessibility from start to finish – of the three, I think it’s the wisest choice to get behind, and if you’re attending those upcoming shows in Alberta and Saskatchewan as Nathaniel kicks off his summer tour this year, I’d be looking for this track to be a seriously significant highlight in the set.  Lots of potential to take a great song like this and expand it even further into an experience that no one will forget when playing it live…I don’t know it for a fact, I just know it to be true.  While the ultimate comparison between what Nathaniel Sutton is creating and the name I was searching for never ended up coming to me, I can certainly vouch for the fact that the guy has instantly made me a fan.  I’ve been spinning this EP throughout the week, and I’ve been 100% impressed by how grippingly intense he can be, even when what we’re talking about are fairly mellow tunes when it comes to how things sound.  It’s the way he performs and the way that he writes that makes everything as intense as it is, and he should be completely proud of that.  I have the feeling that now that he’s written this EP and gotten these thoughts and feelings out into the daylight, that the next record he’ll make probably ain’t all that far behind.  Dude’s got a future in this whole music thang, that I can tell ya without a doubt.  Sometimes those massive explosions we experience in life send us to the place where we’re really supposed to be.  He might be pleading in his lyricism from “The Metaphor” to “take me back to a place I know” – but there’s a place beyond all that…the place where you truly belong.  Nathaniel was born to make music…you can hear it in every one of these tunes, and with the release of A Brighter Sound, I think he’s going to discover that his future ahead is brighter than it has ever been.

Find out more about Nathaniel Sutton from his official website at:  https://www.nathanielsutton.com

Find out what we do & how we do it at sleepingbagstudios, and be the next up on our pages by clicking here!