Seattle's black-hatted bard Brent Amaker returns home for a romantic, soulful stomper in his new single "I Need Love," a cross-cultural slow burn between the lush confessions of classic country and the mariachi continuum of Mexican soul. It is the sort of song that does not ask for your attention, but it demands it, with a whisper instead of a shout.
Adorned with smoldering, atmospheric brass from the Mexican mariachi players, the track broadens its emotional palette without sacrificing the grit of its upbringing. It is to the credit of Amaker's skill at blurring geographic and emotional borders in the service of his storytelling brand. We all need Love and that's the message, but when it comes from Amaker, it's more a whisper than a cliché, a thunderclap in stealth mode.
"I Need Love" whirls you into a dusty cinematic universe where longing reverberates like boots on tile. The track crackles with raw vulnerability, but has a much denser hide; this is Brent Amaker, after all, and his gravel-worn, unwavering voice slices through with a veracity that is both lived-in and completely sincere. "I Need Love" is the first offering from Vaquero, Amaker's forthcoming new album on Rodeo Corp Ltd, and if this track is anything to go by, we're in for a journey that's as honest as it is theatrical.
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