Supervised - Supervised

Supervised

​Supervised
self-released; 2018

​3.7 out of 5

By Bill Todde

Supervised is the brainchild of Bruno Marinho. Originally conceived in Rio, Brazil, Marinho relocated to San Francisco, California for the bulk of recording the self-titled album Supervised. Each track reflects the change in locale, and also the personal journey of Marinho. The album is a self-proclaimed learning exercise, however, the skill demonstrated on each instrument and in the mixing is anything but elementary.

The opening track “The Invisible Man” begins with an ominous synth that gives way to crashing drums and a shredding guitar. As the track mellows out it leads into the lyrics. Haunting and dark, the track carries the mood of a stormy afternoon. Bits of sunshine can poke out in between bursts of rain and thunder. The explosive energy of the track that comes and goes between the slow and burning verses creates a great foil for itself as the track rises and falls.

Following later in the album, “Lack of Faith” opens like a Rage Against The Machine song, and is then joined by a spaced out synthesizer that sounds like it would be more at home in a Daft Punk song. However, the blend works incredibly well, raising the energy level of the song to a new plane as listeners settle into the track as a whole. The body of the track is laden with crash cymbals and synthesizer lines that highlight the breaks in the vocals. As the chorus rises, the story of the song is revealed more. As the chorus ends, a guitar solo carries the song yet another plane higher.

Supervised will appeal to fans that enjoy listening to a whole album. There are many long tracks on the album, jam packed with synthesizer lines and solos on every instrument to fully take in and digest. The tracks don’t feel like nine minutes. The changes in song sections are timed perfectly to keep a listener’s attention. I think everyone will be able to find something to like about this album.

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