Brasstronaut Requiem For a Scene

The muffled piano sets the scene of some old-fashioned late night bar, with a trumpet coming in that casts a jazzy vibe. Shadows sway in the dark, while the voice of Edo Van Breeman takes  you on a trip down memory lane. It's as if everything around you is slowed down, and your surroundings become a movie; everything seems scripted as déjà vu clouds your mind.

Released back in 2008, "Requiem For a Scene" by Canadian indie rockers Brasstronaut is an overlooked and forgotten gem, but well worth your time. The Vancouver sextet goes where few bands have gone before -- to create a new sound so unique and distinct it's near impossible to compare them to other bands or even categorize them into a specific genre.

Intertwining layers of piano, trumpet, and clarinet as the focal point of their sound (the subtlety of guitar, drums, and bass serving merely as a foundation), Brasstronaut exposes the the true potential of the instruments and causes one to gain a new sense of appreciation. Isn't that what all musicians are supposed to do?

I'll admit this song could easily come off as some nostalgic hipster's ballad to buck the system. But Brasstronaut has managed to take the cliche and give it depth and meaning; perhaps not quite in the lyrics, but in the fluent river of sound that flows from the piano and eloquence of the trumpet. The whole atmosphere of the song is fresh and enticing, the lyrics and music simply morph into a track that will connect and express your soul. And make you want to learn to play the trumpet.