New York City-based indie artist and NYU student Brett Castro is a force to be reckoned with, gearing up for the release of his second EP “I’m Sorry” for a March release. Based on its second single, “teach you to fall in love,” which dropped on Feb. 11, the indie-pop EP will be worth checking out.
For a song about heartbreak and the aftermath of a relationship, “teach you to fall in love” is sonically very romantic and upbeat sounding with lots of very rich sounds and major chords. Even Castro’s singing contradicts the melancholy subject matter, his voice full of soul and passion.
The track’s tone starts with a flickering and fading synth before cutting out, making a way for a backing beat, and Castro’s voice enters. The track becomes further layered when sampling of a man saying “uhn” is worked in to fill space where the backing beat is not present.
Castro’s falsetto adds yet another track layer to accentuate certain lines. The next portion of the song sheds the textured elements and we are left with Castro’s voice coupled with the backing beat. To supplement the exclusion of these sounds, a light and airy synth is added in.
The textures return, growing towards an even more expansive sound. Layers upon layers of vocals pepper the remaining minute and a half, giving listeners a chorus of Castro’s voice and a synth that evokes images of rushing water.
These layers space out and slowly phase away to give the song a bit more breathing room and end on a perfect sonically resolved note ending just with a chorus of vocals and keys.
Although the song may follow a minimalist style, it sounds just as rich and beautiful as the rest of the track. Castro’s “teach you to fall in love” gives the listener plenty to sink their teeth into, even after multiple listens.
Email Gabriele Esposito-Wilcock at [email protected].
