It was only supposed to be for two weeks. They told us if we all stayed home, it would just go away. Stay home in March and — don’t worry — we’ll see you during the summer. That was over two years ago at this point and the COVID-19 pandemic has done as extraordinary of a job as ever when it came to proving everyone wrong. It took worldwide expectations and decided that those expectations would be better served if they were thrown into a furnace and reduced to nothing but ashes and wishful thinking. Chaos became the new norm and the world felt like it lost itself. It feels as if the insanity will never cease.
Luckily, there is tranquility amongst the pandemonium — Brendan Clemente’s newest release, “Later in June”.
It’s a song that was written during the second month of the pandemic and discovers pathways that magnificently and accurately capture the feel of the early days of 2020, henceforth known as “the year that must not be named.” Brendan Clemente‘s “Later in June” is relatable, thought-provoking, vibrant and yet, slightly sad, to be honest. It attests to the idea that we all wanted this nightmare to be over so long ago. It bleeds hope. It weeps with the desire to see the ones we care about, while reminding us along the way to never take for granted the time you have with those loved ones. It’s like watching a movie after the ending was spoiled for you: seeing the hero strive to reach his goal, only knowing the whole time that he falls epically short. The aspiration of “goodbye, I’ll miss you, maybe see you sometime later in June” stings quite a bit, knowing that — for the most part — that planned date in June for so many never happened.
As an east coast native and a self-taught guitarist, Clemente is finally being recognized in the way he had waited to be for so long, yet, somehow, always knew would come. Patience is a virtue, right? Teaming up once again with Johnny Cosmic (of Stick Figure), who is becoming a highly sought after producer in his own right in the reggae world, Brendan is able to poetically string together considerations and opinions in a form that is so sonically pleasing. The vocal tracks blend together seamlessly with the rest of the instrumentation and, with that, it creates one of Brendan’s best songs released so far.
“Later In June”, released by Ineffable Records, has some of the most sturdy and substantial guitar work that I have come across in a while, especially when it comes to most forms of modern reggae and dub music. It speaks to the song lyric “I find that music′s more than rhythm // It’s the key to my soul.” Working on this project seems to have used that key to unlock something deep within Brendan; it is allowing him to share his voice in a way that is sincerely captivating and only has you hopeful for more from this up-and-comer. All being well, hopefully things reach a point soon where we all feel a little more comfortable meeting up “later in June”… just remember not to prematurely pick which year that June will be in! Be sure to check out all of Brendan Clemente’s music, available for streaming everywhere, as well as following him on social media for more updates and info.
Purchase or stream “Later In June” single:
Brendan Clemente – “Later In June”
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