Review: Shayne Fade's New Project "Brandon's Brother"
Shayne Fade released his project Brandon’s Brother, a thoughtful rap album with heavy R&B influence. Reflecting on his own life story, systematic racism in America, and his expectations as a rapper, this album is personal and heartfelt. Featuring creative samples, key changes, soulful progressions, and more, every time you listen to each track again, there’s something new to listen to.
Listen to the album as I highlight my top 4 tracks.
“Runnin”
In the lead single on the album, “Runnin”, Shayne touches on the topics of his childhood. He lays out a piece of his life’s story over smooth bass, classic R&B progressions, and instrumentation. Reflecting on how much older he felt than he was as a kid, he speaks on how overlooked he felt when the lack of his father figure brought him to dark times. With the pain felt in every instrument under his vocals, this track is sure to leave goosebumps.
“Targets // Stuttering”
“Targets // Stuttering” featuring VJ is the centerpiece of how systematic racism has affected Shayne. From teachers labeling him as less to not feeling safe in his hometown, the centerpiece for the first half of the track is how unaccounted his trauma was as a child and continues to be today. As VJ comes in with his verse, he discusses the oppression of black communities by the police. He calls out the hypocrisy of the people who oppose equity in America due to its “violent nature” despite parts of their party storming the capital on January 6th.
The song splits in the middle, and Shayne tells us a story of an encounter with a cop. He paints the picture of the cop coming out of his Explorer, his prejudice evident, calling for backup. He focuses on how he calls out the cop, and the cop doesn’t have a response to the well-informed opposition, and Shayne’s “really got him stuttering.”
“Introverted Lover”
In the midst of an outspoken album, “Introverted Lover” is a personality piece. With a beat that edges on the line of lo-fi, the most notable characteristic I caught is his balance between humility and confidence. The words of the track read like a love letter but with a soft-spoken uncertainty. This song is a nice breather to prepare you for the intensity of the rest of the album.
“Voicemails”
Starting with an organ and a guitar riff, “Voicemails” featuring Devlin Tellis has an upbeat vibe. The song is about losing a loved one and hoping that they are proud of the man Shayne’s become. With a trumpet break and a tight pocket in the groove, this song is quick and sentimental, showing a softer side of Shayne and his collaborator. As the trumpet plays us out, they give the vibe that they are the trumpets at heaven’s gates.
Overall this album shows a lot of promise for what to expect from Shayne Fade. With the project, he proves he is a thoughtful and emotional artist that’s easy to vibe to and speaks on relatable topics. Follow his links below to keep up to date with his recent projects!
Shayne’s Links: