The pitch that came with “Brand New Day,” the new one from The Muster Point Project, was great. “A feel-good song about optimism in the face of adversity. Upbeat jangle pop.” And, to be honest, not only is that a perfect summation of the song, it gets to the heart of what the band is all about.
Okay, like all music makers, there is much more to it than that, but if you ever needed a soundbite-sized introduction, that is it, and there aren’t too many artists who could be so succinctly and so successfully appraised.
Project leader, Kevin Franco says that the song is his fife summed up in three verses, but so too will so many of us recognise ourselves in his lyrics, a reminder, as he so eloquently puts it, that not every day is an Instagram moment, that life can be hard, its challenges seemingly insurmountable. And then, you look around and find yourself in a great place, perhaps not the one that you expected, but the one that makes you happy. As Mr Lennon put it so well, “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Life is funny like that.
And this relatable tale is driven by a tune that Wilco (and that is not the first time I have likened these two bands) would have been proud, or at least the lead single from a Jeff Tweedy solo album.
Perhaps the real charm of The Muster Point Project lies in their understatement, their ability to edit a song down to precisely what it needs, no sonic frippery, no flashy showboating, a collection of smart and talented musicians who remember that the song comes first. The song is everything. And so, what they give us is a gentle rhythmic groove, some subtle layering of sounds, a delicate piano signposting the way, subtle sweeps of strings, and a lead guitar break that you will be whistling for the rest of the day.
Oh, and lyrics that make you think that Kevin has written a song all about you.
Perfect.
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