BROOKE BENTHAM

“Infatuated by your little words.  You’re so naive about the world,” sings Brooke Bentham on her new track “Oliver”.  Like glowing embers in cold grey ashes, vulnerable melancholic passion haunts the essence of this floating folky song.

Simple yet poignant words penned three years ago when Brooke was only 16 are loaded with wisdom beyond her tender age.  Her original 2014 debut release “We’ll be Ghosts” got an enthusiastic reception but success felt too overwhelming, so Brooke quickly took the track offline.

Three years on, she seems to have finally come to terms with her precocious musical ability.  The meandering melody and pensive instrumentation give “Oliver” a certain wistful, drifting charm but it’s Bentham’s innocent-yet-strong emotive voice that places this track in a different league.  Gently uplifting and astute it speaks of romantic disappointment and the pain of a first heartache.  It’s style and subject matter are perhaps not a million miles away from SOAK’s musical milieu, but “Oliver”s haunting beauty feels like more than just a one-off.  On the contrary, it bears hallmarks of a big new talent making their first steps into the limelight.

Words by Anastasia Connor  

Tipped by Flo Bannigan from Angry Baby