the working effective - dear brooklyn

The Working Effective

Dear Brooklyn
self-released; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Demiera Harris

Soul. It’s all throughout The Working Effective’s Dear Brooklyn. Here are 11 songs that could only have been written from the depths of the inner mind, translated into beautiful music and delivered in a mesmerizing package. 

The album starts with “The Girl Who Thinks Of Everything,” a song that reminds me of the old quartet songs from before my time. Of special note here are the drums, which become rather complex and assume an off tempo beat near the end of the song. “The Love I Took” really soars from the preceding song and rocks harder than your proto-typical love ballad. The lyrics are really meaningful and touched me in a rather unexpected way; the delivery was top notch and full of power and energy.

“Your Honor” kicks in with an ominous rainy intro. The song sounds intentionally subdued; the instruments clearly are multifaceted, but the focus is very much on the words being sung. The story is compelling and I liked the ‘outlaw’ atmosphere that carries that story along. It transitions well into “Living With A Bastard,” something that arguably should be the quintessential theme song of everyone who has ever fought with their own internal demons. The solos were masterfully written and flowed incredibly well in conjunction with the vocals. 

I was caught a bit off guard by “So Sorry” with its funky pop rhythms. The first verse seemed serious enough but I found myself laughing out loud at the prose that followed; it was witty, funny and poked fun in all the right spots, and seemed to crack the shell of what was to come. 

“Bluebirds” begins just as light and airy as the song title suggests. This is an incredibly sweet yet realistic song that captures the uncertainty of life and describes how, regardless of how we plan for things to go, life still manages to move forward. It’s interesting that he combines the loss of life with the beginning of new life and further signifies the circle of life as a whole. This song is full of the feels, and I loved it. It didn’t help that it was followed by “It Kills Me,”which brings me back to some of the 60’s and 70’s soul I used to listen to (for reference, listen to one of those Time Life commercials). Maybe it’s the choral harmonies, the heavier chords, or the pure heart behind the vocals, but there is something in this song that just rips at my heartstrings and sends cold chills through my veins.

Next time I go to an event, I want “Burlesque Circus” to be the background music. The vocal choice was magnificent; it’s sexy and forbidden, yet entertaining and flashy, and I could just see the kind of performance that this could shadow. I hope they make an official video of this one, because now all I can think of are beautiful women in burlesque and grinning ringleaders, and it would be AWESOME to see.

“Gonna Have A Child” is an incredibly exciting song that I imagine encapsulates every bit of how most, if not every parent, has felt after hearing such incredible news. The baby sound at the end closed out the song wonderfully. Though I was feeling pretty cheery after that song, “Haiti” brought me right back to earth. This is a song that doesn’t hold any punches and simply keeps things real. It’s not so sad as to be a buzz kill in the least, but it did remind me that there are two sides to every coin, and it was a stunning way to end the album. 

Dear Brooklyn called to mind some feelings, emotions and thoughts that have long been hidden away in my core, and I appreciated that. I laughed, I almost cried, and I bobbed my head throughout, and I am positive you will too. 

bandcamp

official website