The wait is over. Briston Maroney has released his debut full-length album. The record arrives complete with a feature-length visual album directed by Joey Brodnax, limited vinyl variants, exclusive merch, and a stand alone video for "Bottle Rocket".
If you are based in Nashville you may have already seen or heard the album. Sunflower: The Visual Album (below) premiered in full format on NECAT – the Nashville Public TV Network, and has been in rotation since then.
"But why can't I be someone else tonight" pleads Maroney on the track "Why". We've all been here, experienced it in one way or another, so what makes this line different from other lyrics. It's that the entire record of Sunflower is full of these eerily relatable moments.
Yet, painfully honest lyrics aren't all that makes up Sunflower. The album is full of different moods, emotions, and energies that transport you elsewhere. If you caught his live set on BandsInTown or are looking forward to seeing him at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival you probably already know.
It's been a journey for Briston Maroney to get to where he is now, much like it was for the album. It's a purposeful piece of art as opposed to much of the mindless content we are fed nowadays.
Piece by piece we were introduced to the songs and their visuals, allowing for the record to bloom into full form over time. As a result end up with an immersive album with nuances hidden in the details. Recorded between the summer of 2019 and early 2020 in Los Angeles, "Sunflower" was produced in entirety by John Congleton.
It's clear that on his debut record Briston Maroney is holding back no punches. Bringing an intimate look at life through his lens, both the highs and lows. His songwriting abilities run deep, being able to capture and project his image with the creative help of Director Joey Brodnax. Intentionally layed out on these polar ends of feeling, the album takes you along with it. From the light hearted mood of "It's Still Cool If You Don't" and the stripped down acoustics of "Say My Name" to the existential dread heavy "Why", the record never gets dull.
Whatever mood you're in, there's a track for you. It's unapologetically authentic, while at the same time maintaining a sense of not taking things so seriously.
The album goes just as well with your morning cup of coffee as it does for winding down after a long day. There's a different energy to the record. It's one of those albums you find yourself going out of your way to find in a record store.
"Sunflower" is out now on Canvasback/Atlantic Records, head to the links below to find Briston Maroney's official webstore, watch Sunflower: The Visual Album, and grab a limited pressing of his debut record.
Watch the official video for "Bottle Rocket" directed by Joey Brodnax below:
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