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Brian Shapiro and his fellow musicians aren’t afraid of anything. Taking a stand on important issues, relating to their fellow human being, and taking their music wherever they like comes naturally to this four piece and their new single “Better in TX” supplies us with ample evidence for that. Hailing from their new album You Me Future Now, the track underlines the inherent creativity Shapiro possesses for addressing contentious subjects from different angles. Every Shapiro-penned lyric stands out for its particular mix of hard-won wisdom, instruction, and connection. Poetic flourishes come at unexpected moments and punctuate the overall results.
URL: https://brianshapiroband.com/
Shapiro never loses his sight of the song’s ultimate aims. It doesn’t look to serve one particular end, concentrating on the music or lyrics, but instead takes a broad based approach to the cut. The song has every bit as much musical as lyrical substance. Few, if any listeners, will dismiss the song on the basis of its message. Shapiro deserves fulsome kudos for maintaining an even handed point of view. The song makes its displeasure clear, takes obvious sides, but never allows itself to be consumed with crass rancor.
The song has immense stylishness. It never sounds callow or overly plotted out, however, though its construction is unquestionably top notch. There’s a real flow from one section to the next and the traditional configuration of the arrangement helps mitigate any “strangeness” surrounding the song. Quirkiness is one of the defining qualities of many Shapiro songs, but “Better in TX” showcases more mainstream attributes than many other Shapiro tracks. This will help the band gain added exposure.
The times we live in are increasingly polarized and “Better in TX” reflects that. He doesn’t lapse into proselytizing, however. The even-tempered stand gives this track more ready appeal than your typical Shapiro song. It doesn’t come with any cheapening of his aims, however. Shapiro’s sense of craft, message, and musicality is as uncompromising as ever from the opening passages through the song’s conclusion.
He doesn’t tax the listener’s patience either. Shapiro, instead, condenses what could have been a potential broadside into concise musical form. Reining in such a renegade vision of musical business as usual takes supreme artistic control and Shapiro illustrates that in spades. His willingness to work with guests distinguishes much of the new album, as well, and “Better in TX” is no exception.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/better-in-tx-feat-amelia-bushell/1653902983?i=1653902985
Amelia Bushell’s vocal additions never draw the listener’s attention away from Shapiro’s singing. She has a different vocal quality than Shapiro’s voice, obviously, but the contrast is never so stark that it sounds jarring. Instead, Bushell’s singing imbues the song with a different character than it would otherwise possess. Her parts are never elaborate and you can’t help but appreciate the emotional emphasis she brings to the song’s presentation.
It’s all these factors and more than set up “Better in TX” as one of the outstanding singles in recent memory. It’s musically entertaining, and challenging, and invites you to keep coming back for more. There’s enough going on here that a single listen isn’t enough to digest the cut, but it isn’t so draining that listeners will be weary of returning to the song. This sort of deep appeal is all the more impressive when you consider Shapiro’s unquestionably cerebral approach. It’s all of these ingredients that make “Better in TX” an appetizing experience.
Jennifr Munoz
