Usually when summer draws to a close, a sense of solitude and yearning washes over many of us. The wild parties and freewheeling days of endless sunshine gradually fade into memory as autumn's chill sets in. It's in these in-between moments that Brian Hingerty's new single "Storm" connects so deeply.
With his second full release since his EP, Hingerty offers hearers a more intimate glimpse into who he is as an artist today. Unlike his earlier songs that had been written long before recording, "Storm" feels freshly crafted to capture a very specific emotional space. Recorded in Hingerty's unique open tuning on slide guitar, the song carries a hauntingly nostalgic quality that takes the listener back to summers past.
The guitar gently ushers in a forlorn melody tinged with sweetness. The vocals soon follow with a vulnerability, laying bare the rawness of missing summer's untroubled spirit as the cool weather moves in. Under the surface of sadness lies subtle hope, a longing to recapture freedom before responsibility comes knocking again.
As the song builds, Brain's colors picture, one can almost feel the first lonely raindrops falling as a storm rolls in. His lyrical storytelling brings the listener right into the moment, sharing in the strange unease of being neither fully in summer nor fully in the forthcoming seasons ahead. With touches of agony and loneliness in his voice, "Storm" takes on an intoxicatingly uncomfortable edge.
It's this ability to immerse the listener so fully in an emotion that makes Brian's songwriting truly shine. Through sparse instrumentation and vulnerability in his vocals, he taps into a deeply human longing we've all felt at one time or another. Even amid the dense layers of gray clouds and the melancholy monotone of the rain, a glimmer of light breaks through in his lap steel guitar solo. It's a brief reminder of summer's joy, still lingering somewhere within the sadness of its ending.
For fans of indie folk with heartfelt lyrics and Americana vibes, "Storm" delivers a moving listen. When the next rainy day rolls around, I have no doubt many will find comfort and companionship in Brian's moving tribute to life's in-between places.