Large Brush Collection
Photo by Marshall Tidrick
“Forgiveness Is A Gift We Give To Ourselves” is the superb new song by Austin, TX-based Large Brush Collection. The track reminds us of the broad range of musical styles that came out of the west coast of America in the 1960s. Though tinged with psychedelia, the song transcends easy categorization into a single genre, due to its eclectic and innovative flourishes.
The one thing we love about “Forgiveness Is A Gift We Give To Ourselves” is that it is not afraid to play with an incredibly stripped-back arrangement. The warm, bobbing, vintage-toned bass line provides a constant pulsing sound that may cause the listener to draw comparisons to early Velvet Underground tracks. As the track progresses, dreamy, bright electric guitar with reverberated tones is thoughtfully allowed to roll over the arrangement, heightening a sense of introspection. These bright tones are contrasted in places by a darker electric rhythm guitar that brings weight to the song’s groove. As the drums enter, they gorgeously lock in with the bass, creating a solid groove that has a sense of playful skipping.
Throughout the track, the song gives healthy nods to the 1960s. Experimental sounds embellish the arrangement, creating vivid, trippy, almost dream sequence-like textures. These touches remind me of The Beatles track “What’s the New Mary Jane.” Splashes of flute also spiritedly flourish over the composition, reminding us of songs by the band Love or The Mamas & the Papas. The vocals are effortlessly breezy and meditative in delivery. Their reflective performance follows a poetic path, from self-doubt and loss, towards a healing rooted on letting go of the past. Its rich, lively tone beautifully soars in places with emotion.
The retro-tinged song “Forgiveness Is A Gift We Give To Ourselves” by Large Brush Collection is brimmed full of nostalgic meditation tones, strikingly contrasting carefree, breezy tones with a darker undercurrent of tension and moodiness. The track comes from the band’s upcoming debut LP, Off Center, due out in January.