There are certain records that take on the characteristics of the room they were recorded, and grow as a result. The most obvious for me — The Trinity Session — became something magical thanks in part to the natural acoustics of Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity.

 

For Edmonton’s Brock Tyler, recording at Central Baptist Church really shaped the end results. Piano, hand claps, and gentle guitar progressions bounce around the room, soaking into the wood and echoing off the pews and the solitude of the late night recording sessions forced him to question each decision and himself.

 

You Can’t Keep The Sun Down is a brief moment in time, a personal journey in which Brock bared his soul. There are no masking layers, no half truths presented. If it didn’t sound right, it was stopped and started again. The open space and pulse of the room is as important to the surprising arrangements as any instrument Brock adds. These songs are confessional; not religious, but certainly spiritual.

 

What really makes this EP so delightful is that even with the significance of the room and emotion attached to the songs, Tyler balances the weight of the affair with a casual pop feel. The ominous, simple piano and slow crescendo of “Because You Live” starts dark and reflective, but is full of hope and optimism. “On Saturday, Maybe” and “Snow is Falling In May” float along nicely and “June” transports the listener to a coastal town off the Mediterranean. Even “The Flowers of April” uses a quicker tempo to hook the listener.

 

Not only is You Can’t Keep the Sun Down a fantastic EP, it provides a blueprint for how material should be delivered in today’s music economy. With the freedom to release sketches and singles digitally at any time for no more than the cost of recording them, more artists should opt for quality over quantity. This EP is only fifteen minutes of music, but it’s perfectly recorded with precision and passion. Head over to his bandcamp and grab it now. It’s 4 bucks well spent.

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MP3:: Brock Tyler – Because You Live

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MP3:: Brock Tyler – On Saturday, Maybe
WEB:: http://brocktyler.com