REVIEW: Brooke Josephson — “Rainbow” (SINGLE)
Brooke Josephson’s latest single “Rainbow” opens with a boisterous blast of energetic guitar. It sets an early tone for this Indiana born singer/songwriter. Now based out of the Los Angeles, California area, Josephson’s theatrical beginnings taught her well how to incorporate credible drama into anything she does. She debuted in 2013 with the EP Live and Let Live and culls “Rainbow” as a single from her latest EP collection, the self-produced Showin’ Up slated for release in fall 2021.
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Josephson sustains the furious strumming throughout the track. Drummer and Keith Urban alumni Seth Rausch lays down a hard-charging groove and bassist Tim Pierce pulses in lockstep with Rausch’s groove. The vibrant production values running throughout “Rainbow” sharpens its lively edge — the song practically explodes from the speakers when it begins and keeps up that energy level throughout the song’s entirety.
“Rainbow” is unabashedly autobiographical, but Josephson adopts a conversational style for her lyrics. It speaks to listeners on their level and never flirts with pretentiousness. She isn’t attempting to remake the songwriting wheel with this cut. She’s hit on a near perfect opening line. Her theme, as well, will strike a chord with virtually any listener, especially older admirers who relate with its message. Her phrasing fills each line with a sense of stakes — she sounds, as the saying goes, as if she’s singing for her life. There’s never any sense of her overexerting herself, however, she pours the right amount of emotion into each passage and the listening experience has a tasteful unified quality. No one single passage is overwrought compared to others; there’s a seamlessness to this cut that enhances its appeal.
She packs quite a bounty into the song. Her vocals are enough to carry the performance but backing vocals and the MUSYCA Children’s Choir make important contributions to the performance; the latter elevates “Rainbow” several notches. The same disciplined focus defining many individual components of the songwriting extends to its duration. Josephson and her cohorts have crafted a track whose reach never exceeds its grasp.
Josephson produced the outstanding accompanying music video, but director Michelle Bossy deserves plaudits as well. It’s a compelling visual counterpoint. There are several participants working in this promotional clip and Taisha Clark’s choreography has imagination without ever seeming unnecessarily flashy. The color composition, as well, has engaging visual strengths without ever coming off as unduly gaudy.
Her theatrical background led her to work on television programs such as NBC’s Good Girls, Bones on FOX, and the venerable ABC soap All My Children. She is a Berklee College of Music graduate and has enjoyed numerous awards since first emerging in 2013. “Rainbow” is the latest peak in a young career certain to enjoy even greater accomplishments to come. It’s a single burning with a relish for living and engages the audience from the first note to the last. If it is any indication of the quality awaiting listeners with the remainder of Showin’ Up, newcomers and longtime devotees alike will flock to one of 2021’s best singles yet.
Colin Jordan
