Dan’s Lightning 100 DJ Pick of The Week this week is “Brave” by Blind Pilot!
An extensive 8-year hiatus has brought upon a reemergence akin to a family reunion for Blind Pilot. It’s the kind of reunion where time never felt lost, where bygones are let be bygones, where everyone wonders why they even departed in the first place. After nearly a decade plagued by writer’s block, industry frustrations, and personal exploration, their return feels triumphantly cathartic. In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain is the result of a submission, rather than a battle, to vocalist Israel Nebeker’s creative struggles. He brought a set of unfinished tracks to the band, letting their mutual bond bring about the finished product. “Brave” is one gem in the album’s midst.
“Brave” is Blind Pilot picking up right where they left off. Lyrically, Nebeker takes the time to reintroduce and reconnect the group with listeners old and new. “Hola, hello, I’m gonna walk with you and share every place that we know… Yes, you are part of my home,” he croons in harmony on the track. Both easy, relaxed grooves and a folksy instrumental palette shroud the tune in a warm sense of familiarity. he members’ individual musical voices come together like a choir, lending the song to a sound much bigger than the sum of its parts. “Brave” brings the stadium-folk stomp of the early 2010s to the new decade without sounding like a throwback.
Blind Pilot are going back to their roots on their 2024 tour, opting to perform as a quartet, a departure from their much larger performing act of years past. Their In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain tour comes to The Basement East on January 20th. Meanwhile, the album is out today, featuring “Brave” among other blossoming singles “Just A Bird” and “Jacaranda.” Check out a live session of “Brave” below!
Tune in to 100.1 FM or lightning100.com all day to hear “Brave” by Blind Pilot, Dan’s DJ Pick of the Week! Share your thoughts on the track by tagging #L100DJPicks on Twitter!
