For one thing it's a song he will never get tired of singing
I don’t know if Liam remembers, but he told me a few years ago that he felt like he had very nearly figured out what he sounded like. I spoke to him first at pivotal point in his musical career. He was in the process of getting larger than an early phase in his career when he sounded exactly like Ed Sheeran. He was living through this stage where he’d realized he didn’t want to be Little Ed Sheeran anymore. Which left him with the puzzle: what did Liam Cloud sound like?
We talked about that, and I got the impression that, at that point, Liam was starting to figure out how Liam plays guitar—how Liam sings—the stuff Liam likes to write about.
He was getting there. Finding a riff that was Liam’s riff—the specific kinds of heartbreak’s and triumph that only Liam has insight into—those twisty nuances that make his songs identifiable as his songs.
Nobody can figure that out better than Liam Cloud himself, you know? Among the many things it is, creating art is the pursuit of expressing the truest answers to the scariest questions. There’s so much subconscious emotion wrapped up in that process that (with some caveats) the best judge of that truth is the artist himself.
Liam has released “Brighter Days.” Of the songs he’s written, it is hands down his favorite song. The same way that John Mayer claims he’ll never get tired of playing “Gravity” (that’s for each man to decide for himself), Liam says he has the same sentiment towards “Brighter Days.” Whether it’s just him and his guitar, the Ronin Troubadour, or with his band, he is always down for playing this song.
“Brighter Days” is a special moment. It is the answer to the question, “What does Liam Cloud sound like?” It is, at this point in his career, his rebel yell. He’s announced to the gods of rock and roll that he has his own voice.
He might define himself again. He will definitely write more great songs. But for now, “Brighter Days” is Liam’s sound. The fact that among the songs he’s written this one’s his favorite tells you something: it’s a true answer to some of those scary questions.
Anyway, he’s dropped this amazing, beautiful song. You can tell it’s a proper piece of art, because even before releasing it the song’s meaning evolved. Liam wrote it with a particular set of experiences in mind. “Brighter Days” became unshakably related, in his mind, to something else entirely: to memories of his brother, Tiernan, and growing bigger around those memories.
Which is a cool thing to know, but the other reason “Brighter Days” is proper art is because it has layers of subjective meaning that I can bring to it—and you can bring to it.
And, at the same time, “Brighter Days” is also proper rock and roll. This bluesy, down-tempo song is the perfect accompaniment to a rainy afternoon or a moody walk. Liam’s clean vocals are so emotive—you can feel the passion he has for the song in the winding way he phrases the lines. And, as much as he is anything, Liam is a guitar player. “Brighter Days” rides a graceful, soulful wave of strings caressed in the vague direction of sweet dreams.
That’s my experience, anyway. You people should listen to the song—strike your own conclusion. Maybe argue with me. That’s the way into the future.
Watch for Liam’s upcoming shit. We’re in for a ride.
“For every sunset, there is a sunrise. And the darker it gets, the sweeter the light becomes when it inevitably returns. So if you always hide in the shade, how can you justify complaining about it being too dark all the time? The sun won’t ask you to enjoy the light, you simply have to acknowledge it’s existence. The rest is up to you. “
Liam Cloud's Brighter Days full video will premiere in YouTube 12th of April 18:00 CET / 12:00 New York Time. Anthony Di Damaso is the brilliant video producer behind it. Seeing a song of this magnitude as a live set video truly says a thousand words. If you're there watching cats and giggling at some of the strangest animal behaviour on the planet captured on someone's wicked iPhone...Click below, set notifications on---like and share the love. This song was made to be heard and felt.