April 16, 2022
Written By Louis Watson
Written By Louis Watson
AUDITORIUM RELEASES HIS ETHEREAL WORK OF ART, "BE BRAVE"
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Los Angeles-based artist ‘Auditorium’ – also known as Spencer Berger– is coming out of the woodworks of his third album to release the deluxe edition of his debut album Be Brave.
Berger recorded the original album back in 2011 with only two instruments; an acoustic guitar and an electric bass. The rest of the record was graciously executed by his classically trained vocals and layered harmonies, creating a sound unique to him. Originally from Queens, NY, Berger started his career early at the age of nine, and was a member of The Metropolitan Opera’s Children’s Chorus. |
The deluxe version of Be Brave includes 10 new bonus tracks:
This Ones For You, Let The Curtain Fall, The Indian Ocean, Campfire Song, The Best Story I Know, Feeling of Love, ‘Young Man, You’ve Fallen’, Jordan, and Song For Mother.
Right off the bat these tracks remind me of the B-side deep dive track you’d find on an alternative 90’s band’s record. Such as Third Eye Blind, Placebo, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Gin Blossoms but stripped. As mentioned earlier the tunes are that of a simple acoustic guitar and bass, with beautifully soft yet harsh and slight baritone vocals. Though a bit old fashioned, it’s something refreshing.
The simplicity of the instruments and production of these tracks is what makes the deluxe version bold and refreshing. In the age of new music with raving autotune and heavy metal we often forget the root of music, where we only had so much equipment and ways to alter songs, and how impactful that can be by itself when composed correctly. Props to Berger, who was able to record the additional tracks and stayed true to the original craft.
This Ones For You, Let The Curtain Fall, The Indian Ocean, Campfire Song, The Best Story I Know, Feeling of Love, ‘Young Man, You’ve Fallen’, Jordan, and Song For Mother.
Right off the bat these tracks remind me of the B-side deep dive track you’d find on an alternative 90’s band’s record. Such as Third Eye Blind, Placebo, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Gin Blossoms but stripped. As mentioned earlier the tunes are that of a simple acoustic guitar and bass, with beautifully soft yet harsh and slight baritone vocals. Though a bit old fashioned, it’s something refreshing.
The simplicity of the instruments and production of these tracks is what makes the deluxe version bold and refreshing. In the age of new music with raving autotune and heavy metal we often forget the root of music, where we only had so much equipment and ways to alter songs, and how impactful that can be by itself when composed correctly. Props to Berger, who was able to record the additional tracks and stayed true to the original craft.
Auditorium on Be Brave (Deluxe):
“Last year marked the 10th anniversary of Be Brave, and I found myself exploring my old recorings from that era,” explains Berger. “Nine of the ten bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are demos for songs that didn’t make the final cut—but there are elements of those songs that made it onto the album. For instance, the rhythm guitar in ‘The Best Story I Know’ inspired the sound of ‘Sunday,’ and the background harmonies in ‘This One’s for You’ influenced how I approached recording harmonies throughout the album. The one live track is ‘Young’—it’s one of the first songs I ever wrote, and this is the only recording of it that exists. It was captured at a small coffeehouse across the street from my college campus.”
“Last year marked the 10th anniversary of Be Brave, and I found myself exploring my old recorings from that era,” explains Berger. “Nine of the ten bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are demos for songs that didn’t make the final cut—but there are elements of those songs that made it onto the album. For instance, the rhythm guitar in ‘The Best Story I Know’ inspired the sound of ‘Sunday,’ and the background harmonies in ‘This One’s for You’ influenced how I approached recording harmonies throughout the album. The one live track is ‘Young’—it’s one of the first songs I ever wrote, and this is the only recording of it that exists. It was captured at a small coffeehouse across the street from my college campus.”
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Though I found the deluxe version to be good, I could see Berger potentially doing a lot with the natural talent he has. I hope to see him experiment more with his craft, and not be afraid to branch out into other sub-genres to elevate his music. I could see him joining the league of talented contemporary singer-songwriters such as Hoizer, Vance Joy, and James Bay once he leaves that comfort zone.
Berger is currently recording the third, full-length Auditorium album, which he’s planning to release in 2023. |
