“I LOOKED at you lately with a smile in your eyes, well it doesn’t get better than, better than this” - the opening line of the new single from Tracy Bruen.
The follow-up to Tracy’s 2020 radio hit ‘Dream Away’ has been a long time coming, but this latest release, a sumptuous, waltzing, number, has certainly proved worth the wait.
Over a bed of gently intoned wordless vocals from Laura Lynn and Lorraine Flanagan, and fiddle from Neil Fitzgibbon, Tracy’s voice soars with joy, delight, gratitude, and depth.
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This is very much a song for these times, in acknowledging and being grateful for the things we often take for granted - the health of a loved one, their smile, their voice, and knowing how precious it is to have someone you can be physically close to during a pandemic: “I love your face in the morning, your breath on my cheek in moments before we sleep.”
The single is out now on the independent Galway label, Strange Brew. It was recorded and mixed by Ray Diamond, and also features Adam Downey (drums ), Padraig Joyce (guitar ), and Shane O’Malley (bass ).
Galway faces, Galway video
VIDEO
The song boasts a striking video featuring many familiar faces from the Galway music and arts scene. The images are by Galway photographer EMJ Camera, and it was directed by AMW Visual.
The photographs in the video were taken during the first lockdown. People posed on their doorstep, along with an item to represent a new hobby they had taken up.
“The agenda was very simple,” says EMJ Camera, “to show some positive and uplifting news. As a photographer, I wanted to document the situation through my own angle that had no negativity and give a bit of a bright spark to the community. The whole process ended up being incredibly fulfilling and heartwarming, revisiting some old friends and even making new ones.”
‘Better Than This’ is available via all digital platforms. See www.strangebrew.ie
