Genesis by David Borné | Album Review
Borné’s debut takes us on a psychedelic folk-rock journey through self-discovery, healing, and rebirth.
The beauty of being a Nashville native comes with the ability to see artists rise into the mainstream from our local underground. Musicians like Gabe Lee, Bully, and Soccer Mommy have been a joy to share with friends and watch grow their audiences. I try to keep my ears open to new music in the area and that’s how I discovered the debut release from David Borné. I was grabbed by the psychedelic flavor radiating from these folk-rock-oriented tracks. Borné’s sound feels inspired compared to other versions of this sound. The GoFundMe-funded debut dives into the artist's growth and rebirth from start to finish.
We begin the project with the tumbling guitar and driving percussion of “B4.” Borné’s earthy yet gentle vocals are the thread that weaves through the beautiful chaos that swells in an oil slick of iridescent colors. As the title suggests, David seems to be clawing back to an earlier version of himself. The chorus, “I want to break these rusty chains/ I want to feel/ I want to change back into/ who I was before,” feels less desperate and more determined to recapture the stability he once had in his past.
“Leave The Light On” opening guitar riff reminds me a little bit of The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition.” David’s rugged vocals and the shimmer of the electric guitar anchor us in an Americana landscape. There is a bittersweet hope towards Borné’s look at his own faults and hope for a renewal of this failed relationship. The pang of heartache stings as he sings, “He asked do I think about you/ Though I often try to quit/ I heard that you got married/ Hate to hear it didn’t stick/ I fear I’ve taken my last shot at love/ One more swing and miss.” The fragility in his voice brings out that sense of loss and regret beautifully against this almost indie-rock sound.
We take a bit more of a folk-rock detour with “Hermano.” If you enjoyed some of the rustic sounds of Ben Lee’s career, I think you will quite like the warmth that emanates from this piece. Between the airy sounds of the flutes and David’s vocals, the bridge swirls like a whirlpool of luster dust. Here, we reach out in hopes of mending bridges burned. Borné leaves the door open even though he knows this might be the end of the road, “How hard can it be/ To bite the bullet?/ Lone apology/ For one wrongdoin?/ You say you′ve changed your ways/ Time to prove it/ How hard can it be/ To bite the bullet?” The little nod to psychedelic usage bolsters his free spirit approach to getting closure.
“Color of the Rain” brings out a radiance from the glow of David’s guitar work. Its lightness is amplified by the sizzle of keys and delayed vocals. You feel as if you are lifted off your feet soaring through cascades of sun rays. This texture punctuates Borné’s elation over this woman he has met. The love he feels for her is echoed in everything that surrounds him, “She’s the beat of the heart/ She’s the blue in my blood/ So much deeper than the surface so much stronger than the flood/ And she keeps fallin, keep falling/ On my window, on my window pain/ No she never looks the same She’s the color of the rain.” There is a joyousness that is hard not to bring a smile to your face as you’re enveloped by this track.
Borné brings in fellow singer/songwriter Bre Kennedy to provide backing vocals on “Clarity.” Some of the more psychedelic elements of the album begin to nudge their way in through the floral tones of the flute samples. Add to this the sparkle of an omnichord again the slow chug of the keys and the song almost glows in the dark. The way the song phosphoresces acts as the guiding light that the duo seeks in the darkness, “When doors close, windows open/ When you can’t go on, keep on goin/ Learn to shine in the darkness/ The path from pain can lead to peace/ When you hurt don′t get disheartened/ You gotta cut through the clouds to catch a peak/ Of clarity… clarity.” Its dreamy sound only adds to the comforting feeling that you need when in the throws of fear and depression.
“Disembodied Voices” has a richness brought out by the low hum of David’s down-tuned acoustic guitar. This organic quality is quickly cast in the dancing sunlight of the backing band. Borné has an epiphany regarding his own destructive habits. It’s both a call out and wake up call, “It must be hard to feel the weight of all your words on diet cocaine/ Have you ever seen the light of day?… Have you ever considered that these/ Disembodied voices/ Are just a symptom of your choices?” Instead of attacking the actions that have gotten him here, the song raises you up to see the light and grow.
“I Like The Idea” brings in a sense of optimism and warmth that seeks to break through the darkness that surrounds us more and more each day. The song’s playful sound is completely wrapped up within a heavy dusting of psychedelic folk-rock. Its carefree atmosphere wonderfully tethers Borné’s philosophy of hope being everlasting, “I like the idea/ That hope is a chameleon/ It can blend in with the ceiling /But it’s never truly lost No/ I like the idea/ That we can dance for rain/ That there’s a place where there’s no pain/ And that livin’s worth the cost.” It’s a little Ben Lee and a little Sturgill Simpson cycled through a shroom-induced dreamscape. I can’t help but find his conviction to be as infectious as the technicolor soundscape of this track.
We take our first steps into spirituality on “Heaven, Eventually.” Borné uses earthy tones to create a view intimate feeling. Everything feels very crisp and near with David’s voice and acoustic guitar acting as the epicenter. In his new awakening, he looks past the Christian faith to include Eastern dogmas to grant him a new outlook. At the same time, he calls out Western religious pushback against these teachings, “There’s no rule in Hindi denying Christ and The Trinity/ Oh brother why you gotta build a wall around Divinity?/ ′Cuz from my dream it sure seems/ Everyone eventually gets to heaven.” That ever-so-slight meditative vibe that flows throughout the song centers this theme quite nicely.
“Déjà Vu” is our first real rock number to charge up the atmosphere of this album. The electric guitar takes a little bluesy vibe as David’s vocals bend and curve around it. The ragged tone gives us our first hint of frustration boiling underneath over some of the mental blocks and scars left from his past. Borné radiates powerful energy from start to finish as he asks the question as to why these moments trigger these emotions in his mind. It’s a great change of pace from some of the lighter tracks that came before.
“I Became” has a bit of grit to it that is brought out by the low growl of the electric guitar and subtle fry in some of Borné’s vocals. At times I get a little taste of Peter Gabriel in the way David announcates his verses. These coarse edges display the sense of regret he has for his immaturity and foolishness of his youth, “You gave me everything you had/ As much as I could take/ Forgave every one of my/ Purposeful mistakes/ When you′re too afraid to end it/ You just bend it til it breaks/ You always said someday I’d grow up/ And make somebody happy/ Someday… someday… someday… someday.” The poetic way in much he tries to display how he’s grown, albeit too late to mend the relationship, fills the piece with a tangible sense of grief.
The most singer/songwriter-oriented song on the album is “Silence in the Sound.” Fellow Nashville musician Hadley Kennary’s soft vocals add to the delicate tone of the acoustic backing. Its softness brings out a sense of security that finding a partner that feels like home can bring. In this gentle breeze that the duo impart this celebration of love, “There’s a difference between settling and settling down/ In you I find a stillness as the world is spinning around/ It’s you who brings me balance when I’m on shaky ground/ You’re the silence in the sound.” Both singers work nicely together to keep the song both inviting and smooth.
“Stardust” has an ambient hum that rustles like a cool breeze on a colorful afternoon. Borné uses this as our framing point as he uses the choral strum of his electric guitar and the crisp vibrato of a violin to fill this landscape with a smear of warm color. The buoyancy from this brings out the weight of his spiritual awakening. Through his personal journey, he has a new appreciation for what he believes is a higher power: “That we ain’t all just stardust/ No nothing ever happened just because/ It’s a bold claim words won’t explain/ And I’ve seen enough to know/ I don’t know much But we ain’t all just stardust.” I really like the simple way he discusses these thoughts that I think a lot of people can connect with.
The album ends on the absolutely trippy tone of “Singing Machine, Microphone.” The effects on both the keys and guitar give the song a sense of being submerged underwater. Add to this the cry of strings and you get something that swirls a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors. David uses this piece to celebrate both the distance he has crossed to get to the place he is now and the love that he has found along the way. The lush, creamy fizz that the song wraps you in is the perfect way to close out this journey of self-actualization.
Having never heard any of David’s prior work before, I was extremely pleased to hear the soundscape that he crafted with this project. It’s solidly trippy and whimsical while never feeling too corny or self-important. Every song touches on a variety of heartfelt topics that welcome you with open arms into their worlds. On top of allowing us time for introspection, Borné keeps us hooked with a mix of rock, folk, psychedelic, and Americana-related tracks that give more depth to these themes. I highly recommend you give this album a listen if you are a fan of the genre and looking for an exciting up-and-coming artist. My overall thoughts on Genesis:
Loved it: “B4”, “Color of the Rain”, “Clarity” (feat. Bre Kennedy), “Disembodied Voices”, “I Like The Idea”, “Déjà Vu”, “I Became”, “Silence in the Sound” (feat. Hadley Kennary) & “Singing Machine, Microphone”
Liked it: “Leave The Light On”, “Hermano”, “Heaven, Eventually” & “Stardust”
Dislike it: None
My overall rating: 8.5 out of 10.
