The Brave release new single 'Technicolor', set new album 'Aura' for April

The Brave try out some new things on 'Technicolor'. 

Despite their djenty/metalcore 2018 single, 'Ethereal', it feels like it's been fucking ages since The Brave have released new music, and were still feeling like an active unit. Which is why it also feels like years have passed since we've had something new from them now the Queensland group had their latest single, 'Technicolor', land this week.

At it's core, 'Technicolor' is a personal expose about trying to get out of the greyscale ruts that we can find ourselves in; to breathe some colour back into our lives and actually feel alive again. Just trying to find a ladder our of the dark, enclosing holes that our mental health can deteriorate down to. Which is a noble enough and relocatable lyrical theme, to be fair. Musically and stylistically speaking, though, the track is... fine. But I cannot say that I'm super about it, honestly.

'Technicolor' is indeed something a bit different for The Brave, but it's a weird little track too. And I'm still not sure how well it comes together after further listens. The first 10 seconds sound like you're about to enter Limp Bizkit territory with a re-occurring, gloomy guitar motif and some turntables scratches. Then the track shifts into alt-rock with some slightly unintelligible pitched screams from Nate Toussaint and distorted guitars entering in. It's kinda like a merging of the post-hardcore/metalcore of the now with the Linkin Park of 2000-2003; which is a clear influence over these guys right here.

[caption id="attachment_1105944" align="aligncenter" width="760"] 'Aura' is out April 5th via UNFD.[/caption]

Then there's the song's breakdown at 2:10, which is eerily similar to the breakdown in Thornhill's 'Reptile'; which was also a very Northlane-esque breakdown to begin with. I actually mentioned this to The Brave's bassist, Daniel Neucom - who, in full disclosure, used to shoot the odd Brisbane gig for KYS back in 2016 - and he labelled said breakdown of theirs as the "old single-note djent-stick breakdown." Which is totally apt! So many bands use this method in their song-writing and it sticks out so much these days. Things like this are exactly how people notice really repetitive song-writing cues and why many people can also write-off whole bands and genres far too quickly. See that recent Void Of Vision rip-off band, Glass Crown, as a leading example of what I'm talking about.

Overall, 'Technicolor' pulls between the lighter, newer shades that The Brave are seemingly expanding into, but also retaining some of the heavier, "core" sound of what they did on 2016's 'Epoch'. I wouldn't be at all surprised if their contribution to that UNFD Silverchair covers album with their take on 'Cemetery' informed the group to take some different routes with their sound. And I also wouldn't be shocked if new album, 'Aura' also sees the band trying to chart out new ideas within these opposing extremes.