Brat Pitt - "First One" — Manor Records

BRAT PITT - “FIRST ONE”

Co-released on cassette via Manor Records & Tape Dad (ARK) - 07.05.20.

Limited edition cassettes available HERE.

“To grow, you need sunlight, soil, a little bit of water… and Brat Pitt’s new cultivating EP First One. Thanks to the man behind the project, Springfield’s Coal Simmons, who takes influences from 60’s country, 70’s pop, 90’s emo, and 00’s indie rock, we now have all the tools necessary to branch out for decades to come.

Pedal steel welcomes us to an ode to a forbidden woman Simmons must love from afar: “Miss Mary”. Distant harmonies combined with a folksy feel cause the melody to periodically swell and fall like the tears shed for all those nights he longed for her company. He soothingly asks “Does anybody know why I can’t get high?” Looks like he has to find a new love interest -- Miss Mary will never become Mrs. Mary.

Despite all the unrequited love, the next track “(Still) Can’t Fly” praises growth, being happy with where you are, and loving the people that are there with you. With jangly guitar, anxiety of stagnation confronts dynamic drums striving for change to evolve into a heavy vining root of melody on its way somewhere new.

Tender vocals slow us down and take us somewhere old back to the past through “Stockholm”. Trotting strums of guitar mosey through your childhood home, but Simmons reminds us “a house is not a home / if the one who’s not yet grown / has to be the one to bear all of this pain.” Trumpet cries and pedal steel stretches out like you did each morning when you woke up in your favorite footie pj’s. But now older, you’ve found room to grow as the days passed and the notes of the piano have faded.

However, it’s hard to grow. “Wallow” shows us Simmons’ inner monologue of self-loathing through electro-gloom brightened with synth spattered in encouragement. A conversation with himself, he goes back and forth fighting his own inhibitions calling “I hate to see you wallow / in your filthy follow / come on get a grip.” Flowing gradually, the melody picks up as if to begin to fill the glass up half full, finally. It’s hard to drink, but swallow and try not to wallow.

Leaving us with “Pick Up”, Simmons makes this EP one you won’t want to put down. Expressing the frustrations that follow the end of a relationship, it comes equipped with a tough bass line, storming snare, and a heavy tone, almost as heavy as the boxes they have yet to pick up. Chalk-full of emotion, you’ll want to drive over and drop the boxes off yourself. With them out of your way, you’ll now have more room to grow.

Clearly, Coal Simmons has a green thumb for grooves because Brat Pitt’s EP First One plants the seed for sweet sounds of introspection to sprout from your ears. Listen.” - Skylar Rochelle

Review by :: Skylar Rochelle

Manor Team Member & Blog Editor

Manor Records gives 100% of article author rights to Skylar Rochelle.