Lately, I have been trying to find some Pacific Northwest bands to add to my regular music reviews. I found another one in Howling Brave, out of my hometown of Bellingham, Washington. They have recently released their latest album LYIAIK, on Washingtones Records, on December 10, 2023. “Howling Brave, is the brainchild of Sam Chue, who is also the owner of Washingtones Records. The album introduces a fresh wave of digital music collaboration, showcasing a blend of diverse talents”.
“The virtual band members include: Sam Chue, on guitar and vocals; Sam Chue, on bass and vocals; Kera T. Cracker, on acoustic drums; Otis Meda, on keys and synths; Dex Foliculorum, on electric drum set; Caleb Savage on trumpet; and Porphy Romonas, on strings. Eli Savage, plays acoustic drums on track 8 – (LYIAIK). “Together, they create a genre-blending sound that defies traditional musical norms. Chue describes the sound as lore-core because of the extensive lore he made behind each fictional member of the virtual band. Find out more about the band by finding their accounts on Instagram and messaging them any of your questions!”
The band’s press kit describes the album this way: “LYIAIK” is a dedication to Sam’s late wife Victoria Sprong. Admittedly, Sam doesn’t recall how many of these songs started to form, being that they were musical ramblings usually recorded between 11pm-4am, while trying to calm down enough to sleep. You can hear Sam trying to process the pain of his loss through intricate musical layers and captivating melodies that capture the essence of loss, depression, creative compulsion, hysteria, and grief”.
“The album was recorded during a tumultuous time for Sam, this album is emotionally raw and “it’s supposed to stir up feelings with the audience”, says Chue. Chue continues, “I try to reach half way out to the audience here, with this album, nothing is explained to the listener. If they wanna know what the album means, it’s made in a way that they have to either dig for the answer, or listen to the album top to bottom. I also want people to know that this album means too much to me to release the complete version on streaming.”
“Sam Chue’s vocals add depth to the tracks, while the trumpet melodies by real-life musician Caleb Savage enhance the album’s orchestration, adding a unique flair to the digital ensemble”.
“After a decade of making music and working through some heavy stuff together, Howling Brave recorded their first full-length album at The Basement Studios from 10/23/22-10/24/23. Featuring Sam Chue on vocals and guitar, and Caleb Savage on trumpet, this virtual band is known to collaborate with various other artists from the Pacific Northwest”.
This is an intense album about the love and devotion Sam Chue felt towards his wife Victoria Sprong. These are deep feeling songs, full of emotional lyrics in remembrance of someone absolutely important in his life. You can hear the sounds of the Beatles, electric music, pop, rock, and ambient music, throughout the album. All of these genres are mixed well. Every track on this album is a devotion to Victoria Sprong, Chue’s wife. It must have been a very difficult album to write, and the fact that Sam Chue is sharing something so absolutely personal with all of us is quite a feat in itself. Most of the album is upbeat about the wonderful memories of Victoria, and how Sam thinks about her each day. “Survivors”, has a rough metal, middle section, that bears the brunt of a loss, so real and vital, to any human being.
My favorite songs on the album include: “The Line”, “A Long Time Ago”, “Emptiness”, “I Love You’, “I Want You”, “To Believe”, the title track, “LYIAIK”, “I Used to Be”, which seems to include Victoria’s voice, “After the Show”, “Survivors”, “Introduction”, (and its trumpet solos), and “When I Die”, which includes lyrics describing, the feelings of Sam meeting Victoria in the afterlife. “In Everything”, repeats the eternal truth, “In everything, there’s a lesson to learn. From a painful loss to a love that burns”.
Thank you, Sam Chue, for sharing your love, thoughts, memories, and inspiration about your wonderful wife Victoria. We will never meet her, but I think everyone who listens to this album will feel her inspiration and know what a fantastic person she was, while she was here. She is in a better place, and your gift to us, and her, is this powerful album of tribute, to her life. Hopefully it will help others, going through their own grief of deep losses. Thank you, Sam for being brave enough to share this album with the world. We all feel, with deep condolences, your loss, and celebrate with you, the life of Victoria Sprong.
Album Track List:
- The Line – 3:06
- A Long Time Ago – 2:13
- Emptiness – 2:00
- I Love You – 3:48
- I Want You – 3:11
- To Believe – 2:26
- Drain – 2:06
- LYIAIK – 3:30
- I Used to Be – 3:26
- What’s This (No One Gets to See) – 3:03
- After the Show – 3:12
- Survivors – 2:39
- When I Die – 1:59
- Introduction – 1:48
- In Everything – 3:33
Band Website and Social Media Links:
https://thehowlingbrave.bandcamp.com/album/lyiaik
https://www.instagram.com/washingtonesrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/washingtonesrecords
You Tube and Music Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@WashingtonesRecords