SayWeCanFly – ‘Blessed Are Those’

SayWeCanFly is the work of Canadian musician Braden Barrie. The Ontario-based acoustic performer is the singer, front man and only member of the band and creates songs comparable to Never Shout Never and Secondhand Serenade. ‘Blessed Are Those’ is an emotional, heartbreaking album featuring orchestral music and lyrics that pull on the heart strings.

First track ‘There Are No Flowers In Heaven’ acts as the album’s foreword. An eery windup music box is followed by cello and piano, before exploding with more orchestral instruments. Combined with Barrie’s catchy but dark vocals, it sets the mood for the rest of this heart-wrenching album.

‘Most of the Time’ grabs your attention with memorable lyrics “listen to you” and a repetitive melody. Barrie’s vocals during the chorus are rhythm focused, which is a contrast to the previous tracks on the album making for a fresh, awakening experience.

‘Left The Light On’ is introduced by an upbeat acoustic guitar, paired with lyrics like “honestly, there is nothing more than I can say…so I’ll hold my tongue and tell you that I’ll be ok. I’ll be ok…” giving the impression of positivity. On closer listening you hear “but the truth is that I’m dying…” reminding us of the deep and meaningful thoughts that surround this album.

‘Blessed Are Those’ is an easily listenable album featuring beautiful instrumentation. Like Barrie’s YouTube channel, where he regularly discusses issues like anxiety and vulnerability, the lyrics are highly relatable and a further reason why SayWeCanFly has a loyal fan-base. This will only get stronger as he continues to write and release such beautiful music.

 EMMA GREVESON