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Released August 31, 2018

Drawing a kaleidoscopic palate of influences together, Chris Rudel's sprawling debut LP, Brave New World, is a soulful, experimental and sometimes playful affair that showcases the singer's knack for introspective and inspired pop songwriting.

Recorded over a span of two years, BRAVE NEW WORLD, the debut LP from Chris Rudel, carefully and often playfully challenges the conventions of pop songwriting while maintaining and introspective focus that gives the record its emotional heft and sincerity. Lyrically, Rudel covers everything from social injustice to the complexity of human relationships and ultimately echoes themes of self expression and personal redemption. As he sings in the second verse of the upbeat album opener, "Empty Suitcase": "got my suitcase, full of memories, letting go of ghosts, that always haunted me", the spirit of the album is one of constant self discovery that finds Rudel seeking to reconcile his experiences through a self-deprecating lens. Sonically, the record is an intriguing blend of contrasting styles; from bouncy pop to introspective piano confessionals to more experimental stylistic detours. One standout track manages to incorporate such disparate elements as a booming jazz bass rhythm, jittery percussion, cinematic strings, a pensive guitar loop, bright, punchy piano hooks and a surprisingly soulful (and deliberately exaggerated) vocal that both praises pop as art and denounces it as utter garbage. That these conflicting influences produce such a cohesive and commanding effect is at the core of the album's magic. It is this constant juxtaposition of tone, texture and timbre that makes BRAVE NEW WORLD such a refreshing and satisfying debut.