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DJ Supply

Title - 'Halcyon Hymns' [CD/DVD]
Artist - Downes Braide Association

For those not in the know, Downes Braide Association (DBA) have announced the release of 'Your Heart Will Find The Way' - the second track to be taken from their just-released album Halcyon Hymns (via Cherry Red Records UK).

Watch The Video Here!

Downes Braide Association was formed as a studio-based project by Geoff Downes and Chris Braide and has now produced three studio albums: Pictures Of You (2012), Suburban Ghosts (2015) and Skyscraper Souls (2017) and a live album Live In England (2019).

The project draws on Downes’ and Braide’s rich musical heritage to create a delightfully accessible brand of classic rock.

Keyboard wizard Geoff Downes was thrust into the limelight with the worldwide success of 'Video Killed The Radio Star' in 1979. The single topped the charts chart in 16 countries for The Buggles duo of Geoff and Trevor Horn (vocals, bass guitar).

They briefly joined prog legends YES before Downes became a founder member of the supergroup Asia with YES guitarist Steve Howe, ELP drummer Carl Palmer and the late John Wetton (vocals, bass guitar).

The Wetton-Downes composition 'Heat Of The Moment' became a world-wide hit in 1982 heralding many years of success for Asia with their FM radio-friendly brand of rock. Downes later rejoined YES in 2011 and remains with the band alongside Steve Howe.

British singer-songwriter-pianist Chris Braide has recently returned to UK shores after many years based in California. He enjoys enormous success writing and producing music for film scores, advertising campaigns and working closely with artists including Sia, Lana Del Rey, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Paloma Faith, Britney Spears and Marc Almond.

1. 'Love Among the Ruins' (6:23)
2. 'King of the Sunset' (ft. David Longdon) (6:37)
3. 'Your Heart Will Find the Way' (5:19)
4. 'Holding the Heavens' (ft. David Longdon) (7:53)
5. 'Beachcombers' (3:30)
6. 'Warm Summer Sun' (ft. Marc Almond) (4:33)
7. 'Today' (6:58)
8. 'Hymn to Darkness' (2:58)
9. 'She’ll Be Riding Horses' (4:35)
10. 'Late Summer' (2:24)
11. 'Remembrance' (11:43)

On this fourth studio album from the well-known writing partnership that is Geoff Downes and Chris Braide, and one on which the songs reflect a bucolic halcyon summer, they open with some narration from Barney Ashton Bullock (which is a running theme throughout the album), before free flowing into the translucent Prog ambiance of 'Love Among the Ruins' which they back with the emotionally impactful 'King of the Sunset' (featuring Big Train's David Longdon) and then comes the much talked about 'Your Heart Will Find the Way' - a simply beautiful, and highly melodic, Prog-pop anthemic track at its very finest.

Next we get the early Genesis-esque 'Holding the Heavens' (once again featuring David Longdon) which is followed by the layered vocal overdubs of 'Beachcombers,' the electronica-imbued 'Warm Summer Sun' (featuring Marc Almond), and then we get the Prog-rock of the emphatic 'Today' (inclusive of a ravenous Dave Bainbridge guitar outing).

This quite magically buoyant and wholly wondrous new album then rounds out with the haunting ethereal, mandolin-imbued 'Hymn to Darkness,' the vibrantly alive 'She’ll Be Riding Horses,' some sumptuous, all be they gentle, piano and choral textures found within 'Late Summer,' with the album coming to a close on the twelve minute opus, 'Remembrance' and then a :35 second, vocal and mandolin-layered 'Epilogue.'

The Artwork has been painted by the legendary Roger Dean, who also creates for Yes and Asia, to name but a few and those Painting Sessions are included on the accompanying DVD (along with 3 lyric music videos - 'Love Among The Ruins,' 'Your Heart Will Find The Way,' and 'Today').

Musicians:
Geoff Downes – Keyboards
Chris Braide – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Ash Soen – Drums
Andy Hodge – Bass
Dave Bainbridge – Guitars
David Longdon – Vocals
Marc Almond – Vocals
Barney Ashton Bullock – Narration

Chris Braide says: “'Your Heart Will Find The Way' has an almost YES like quality of all the songs from Halcyon Hymns I feel, in that it's very up and direct. It’s also a great example of how Geoff and I will sometimes write."

"Geoff sent me the verse chord progression and the riff and then I added the chorus chord progression and the melody just fell out on top of those two elements."

"The brooding verse and majestic riff coupled with the uplift of the chorus dictated the lyric which is about listening to your inner voice and trusting your gut instinct to navigate you out of adversity…It’s a positive self-affirmation of a song.”

A few words from Geoff: “It was such a joy to hear the basic idea I sent Chris for ‘Your Heart Will Find A Way’ turn into something of a mini-epic. The masterful development of the rhythm section of Ash andAndy really enhances the track and brings it to life."

"It has become something of a feature of mine and Chris’s songwriting where the verse (in the minor key) sets the mood of the piece only to climax into an upbeat chorus (in the major)."

"Here is a good example I believe of how we mix pathos with positivity – but ultimately delivering the overall message as one of hope and promise."

It could be about a relationship, or indeed about having a belief and confidence in yourself that will eventually succeed. It’s for the listener to relate to and hopefully feel the strength of the message contained within.”

Official CD+DVD Purchase Link

Official White Vinyl Purchase Link

www.downesbraide.co.uk

DBA @ Facebook

www.GeoffDownes.com

www.ChristopherBraide.com

www.cherryred.co.uk







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