“NYC” is the debut single from UK bedroom producer Brolin, who sounds like the urban, streetwise counterpart to San Diego’s Youth Lagoon. Water treading vocals will quickly bring to mind the way Trevor Powers builds tension through muffled secrets before a well-timed outburst of clarity, but trades in an environment of floating space for the grounding hustle of city life.
It quietly yearns from afar, with all the escalating headphone momentum just before a clear-headed decision to follow through despite past apprehension. It exists in the delicate, chilly air at dawn, just before the sun rises and a thick layer of fog still covers the horizon of the city that appears frozen in place and time, allowing what seems like a personal hourglass to gather all your plans.
The video for the song is cut with vintage footage of New York, and the act of fawning over the city seems just as much about the iconic sense of upward movement that’s so linked to the rich history of the Big Apple. Brolin’s sole release thus far seems to be the final push to chase after that wild dream you’ve always imagined for your best self, driven by the idea that “life is short, even when you’re ten feet tall.”
Check out the video and single below, which will be released October 15 via National Anthem.