This review of Namoli Brennet’s album by Americana artist Sarah Peacock originally appeared in issue 2 of the Rainbow Rodeo zine. Support us on Patreon so you’ll never miss out on another issue!
Like a holy mother offers healing balm with profound heart and tenderness, Namoli Brennet opens wide her humble gates to the poor, undesired, displaced, and broken-hearted in her new album, Light It Up. In a world that is quick to shun the oppressed, Brennet makes it abundantly clear that all are welcome at her table. This is undoubtedly the signature of her brand and a powerfully beautiful truth that weaves throughout the totality of her discography.
Exquisitely and refreshingly heavy handed on important social justice issues, Light It Up carries the torch in an artful vigil with songs such as “All You Refugees,” “Sign Of The Times,” “‘Til The Last Is The Next In Line,” and “Working Poor.” The message in these songs should most certainly crack us wide open, breaking our hearts in only the best of ways.
The musicianship throughout Light It Up is a work of art equal to the lyrical brilliance showcased on the album. Namoli Brennet’s prowess as an instrumentalist and as an audio engineer shines through once again. While the hallmark sound of Brennet’s acoustic guitar does not appear on this record, nothing is missed in the sonic allure of every track.
Namoli has an otherworldly gift for painting the long-suffering story of dreamers, quiet warriors, and the underserved. Her songs look deep into your eyes and whisper, “I see you.” Songs such as “Light It Up” and “Long Is The Night,” remind us there is a battlefield in the mind of every artist, who’s fighting a war in which they are clinging to the hope that the muse will triumph. “Good Night Virginia Wolfe” carries a similar sentiment in a darker way. This song, through its droning qualities, evokes a trance-like state, similar to what Wolfe might have experienced the night she met her tragic end.
While the album finds a groove with an immersive sound bath of introspection between tracks four through seven, “Come Back To Love” is a welcomed tempo lift with a positive message. The point is simple. “Get hip to the kindness. Just come back to love. Come back to love. Don’t push, don’t shove, just come back to love.”
Brennet leaves nothing on the table with Light It Up, and it’s no surprise she showed up with her A-game for this album. She created an excellent record, artful in its musical and lyrical presentation. What I appreciate most about this album as a long-time fan of Namoli Brennet is how it gently and warmly helped me to see outside myself, look beyond my own pain, and to face my blind spots. Namoli Brennet writes music the way we should all aim to live our lives – in a perpetual state of compassion and remembrance that we are all in this together.
[Editor’s note: You can learn more about Namoli Brennett on Episode 3 of the Rainbow Rodeo podcast!]