Honest, direct, incredibly entertaining, wholesome, and warm, this latest single from Bradon Thomas Dougherty is a song that’s like so many we have heard before, and at the same time an endlessly fresh listen from an artist who has a certain songwriting talent that sets him distinctively apart.
Based in Toronto, Dougherty is a Canadian singer and songwriter whose latest single, titled ‘Honest Man’, is also the first single of his upcoming record ‘Brother & Son’. On the single, Bradon showcases the stripped-down sound of his songwriting, giving away with grandiose instrumental passages and relying instead on a dynamic composition and arrangement that utilizes its few elements to their absolute best effects. Relying also on his versatile singing voice, Dougherty’s chirpy highs and moderately talk-alike mids fuse together effortlessly on ‘Honest Man’, and together with the song’s multi-faceted composition that features a handful of distinct sections, we have on our hands a song that is both minimal and wholly intricate.
From the hasty acoustic guitar arpeggios that Dougherty starts with, to the subsequently introduced pounding kick and jittery banjo line, all the melodies are crisp and musical, and the used whistling woodwind (and banjo) add a considerable amount of folk flavor to an otherwise seriously peppy, pop sound.
The song’s latter half, featuring at least a couple of “bridge” sections, does display Dougherty’s wealth of songwriting cues, fusing together different ideas for an outstanding result. The banjo melody with the just-introduced groove makes for a rewarding outro that made me fervently listen to the song about half a dozen times in anticipation of it. ‘Honest Man’ is a lush song from a man with a wealthy arsenal of songwriting ideas, and a voice and an attitude to go with.