BRUCE GUYNN

Divisive times tend to have the most moving of soundtracks, and while we won’t be able to judge the music of this era for another generation, something tells me the contributions of one Bruce Guynn to the history of NorCal rock aren’t soon to be forgotten. In Guynn’s new single “Time Will Tell,” the Redwood Coast soul-rocker presents us with a politically charged lyrical gem that has one foot planted in folk and the other planted in soft pop, with his brooding voice tethering both aesthetics together charmingly. He’s got a lot of versatility as a player, but here, continuity comes through his singing exclusively. 

WEBSITE: https://bruceguynn.com/ 

The pace here is rather restrained given the moxie evident in Guynn’s crooning, but I don’t get the feeling he’s having to hold himself back with these verses. A little bit of contrast between a frontman and his band is fine when it accentuates the natural tension in the music to the degree that it does in this single, and although my man isn’t pushing himself too hard, it’s clear he’s got as much of his heart sewn into this beat as he does the verses he’s singing. He’s all emotion with zero fronting, which isn’t all that common in pop anymore. This vocal takes center stage in both the song and the music video it inspired, with Guynn’s melodic voice centering the overlaid imagery in a fashion nothing else could have. 

With no more than a microphone in front of him, we witness his confidence come alive on screen with nothing to slow its growth, and thanks to the minimalistic backdrop, there are no distractions to obstruct our complete appreciation for the depth of his harmonies. He has nothing to hide here, and it’s obvious from literally every angle of the song. It’s one of the more profoundly simplistic harmonies I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing this July, but the binder in the chorus of “Time Will Tell” takes what was already an immersive listening experience and turns it into a potential indie smash for Bruce Guynn in seconds flat. You don’t have to change the world with your melodic output if you’ve got the kind of commanding presence this delicate voice can conjure up seemingly on the spot in this single, and he rightly keeps his loftier ambitions as a songwriter off to the sidelines in this release. 

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/time-will-tell/1568967008?i=1568967017 

A magnetic single from a deeply talented singer and composer in Bruce Guynn, “Time Will Tell” has made me very excited to hear what other treasures the alternative singer/songwriter beat is going to produce on the west coast this summer. There’s a lot of interest around the once-sleepy arts scene spanning Santa Rosa to Arcata right now - the noted Redwood Coast - and I don’t think Guynn could have timed the release of this recent offering any better given the swell in intrigue his backyard circuit is enjoying. He’s got a voice that encapsulates the spirit of Californian soul-rock here, and it’s easy to fall in love with in “Time Will Tell.”

**********

Trace Whittaker

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

7/2021