As I listened to Alli Brown’s “My Own Superhero,” the ancient Greek tale of Ariadne and her path through the labyrinth with but a thread of courage came to mind. In a similar vein, Brown’s latest single is an expertly woven sonic journey that takes us deep into the darkest recesses of our own consciousness. With a sound so beyond genres, she creates a tapestry of empowerment both as battle cry and lullaby.
Then the message becomes clear we are our own heroes, capable of saving ourselves from the shadows that want to consume us. Brown’s voice sounds soft, like a summer’s breeze, yet weighted in meaning not to be so easily shrugged off. There’s a subtle artistry in how she constructs her lyrics to bring human feelings across in simple yet revitalizing and deep ways. And when she sings about finding inner strength, one can’t help but feel an upsurge in his vein to do just about anything.
What ultimately sets Brown apart, however, is how well she balances that perfect mix of vulnerability and resilience. Her music’s like a patchwork quilt, tacked together with bits of folk, country, and rock. It’s to the credit of her songwriting skills that she can combine such disparate styles into a sound that no one else could own. Amidst all the variation, “My Own Superhero” ends up sounding curiously cohesive, a missing puzzle piece which has finally fallen into place.
And all this while listening to the song repeatedly a question popped into my head: what if each of us had it in, what if we had the guts to turn into our very own hero? What if instead of waiting for somebody else to save us, we got up and took matters into our own hands? Brown’s music might not provide all the answers, but no doubt it’s a very good starting point.
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