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American piano maestro Hugh James has a lot to say in “My Brother’s Shoes,” and his words are as piercing as they’ve ever been in the single and its music video, which are both currently available for download and streaming online. “My Brother’s Shoes” is the story of James’ brother and the relationship the two men shared in life and now in death, as we reflect upon the hardship of homelessness that he endured towards the end of his time on earth. There’s no need to comb through this song looking for a narrative or some hidden meaning, because both are given to us up front, and if you’ve got the emotional depth to handle what its lyrics can provoke within you, it’s a more than worthy acquisition for those of us who live for rousing pop music.
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/hugh-james-music
The backing vocals in “My Brother’s Shoes” were provided largely in part by the gospel group 3G, who add a colorful accent to the track that makes it a lot more palatable than it would have been otherwise. Hugh James is an adept singer, but he seems to be more skilled at arranging a song than he has been at actually bringing it to life, and with the assistance of 3G “My Brother’s Shoes” is transformed from a rather plain musical number into a vibrant piece of emotional art work. His Gospel edge is on full display here, and the chime of the chorus feels almost ethereal as it echoes off of the studio walls and through our speakers.
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/hughjamesmusic
This is one of the sleeker, more streamlined songs in James’ discography both it would seem by design and in execution, and the music video he made to support it lives up to the sophisticated pedigree of the single’s evocative energy. The haunting vibrato of the piano is magnified by the almost circular mix of the vocals, which seem to weave in between the musical interludes like the delicate threading of a needle. You don’t have to be the biggest gospel fan in the world to enjoy what he’s constructed for us in this song, but audiophiles will be particularly taken with the elaborately even-keeled profile that it sports from beginning to end, both in the original single and the music video as well.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/t6psD9_9p3M
Hugh James is doing great things right now, operating at full capacity and seeming to only get better and more concentrated with age. His new song “My Brother’s Shoes” is a truly on point single that relentlessly stresses its meaning with a bittersweet groove that will bring even the most hardnosed curmudgeon among us to their knees. I’m a big believer in the idea that music can be used to make the world a better place than it is today, and it’s tracks like this one that do the most to spur on the social evolution of mankind. We’ve got to look out for each other, value the relationships that we have with one another and start taking some initiative to make things right before it’s too late. If we all took a page out of Hugh James’ book we might be able to get this crazy train called America on the right track again, and that’s what “My Brother’s Shoes” is really about.
PURCHASE LINK: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/my-brothers-shoes-single/1435738165
Mindy McCall
