Hello,
A month ago, we featured Brent Penny in a singles spotlight for his song “Need.” I recommend checking that out after you finish today’s spotlight on Penny.
Today we’re going to take a look at another of his songs. But first, let’s delve into more about him. Brent Colbert (The Awful Truth) performs dream pop under the songwriting-forward project Brent Penny and has been doing so since 2019. According to his bio, “Brent Penny is a Chicago-based experimental singer-songwriter and musician crafting his personal take on pop. Penny’s sound is informed by various shoegaze, ambient, folk, and experimental components. With deadpan lyrical delivery, Penny combines that which is deeply visceral with the surreal.”
Penny’s first EP was Choose the Right in 2019, followed by Growing Deeper, Getting Mutable EP (2024). And in less than a month, on Friday, November 13th to be exact, Penny will release his Rings Loud EP. While I liked those previous EPs and recommend listening to them, I am looking forward to this new EP. It’s Penny’s most ambitious project to date. And arguably his best. It truly is a must-listen. You’ll hear why.
“Buddy” is my favorite song on this EP. I go back and forth between it and “Need.” Kind of like 1A and 1B for me at this moment in time and space. Why? I’d love for you to listen and decide for yourself, as that is subjective. Penny’s vulnerable vocal delivery and lyrics stood out. You feel what he’s going through as you listen. The distraughtness. The backing vocals are powerful as well. The melody packs a punch from the opening notes to the closing ones; even in the quieter moments, musicianship and songcraft shine through. Kudos to all involved, including Alan Sparhawk and V.V. Lightbody. After hearing this song for the first couple of times, there was no way that I wouldn’t feature it as part of SWT’s Singles Spotlight series.
Don’t just take my word for it, press play and listen to “Buddy ft. Alan Sparhawk and V.V. Lightbody” for yourself. Tell us what you think!:
Here’s the track list for Rings Loud EP (out 11/13):
- Rings Loud
- Buddy (ft Alan Sparhawk, V.V. Lightbody)
- Need (ft Alan Sparhawk, Cole Pulice)
- Airplane 2.0 (ft Alan Sparhawk, Cole Pulice, Nona Invie)
You can connect with and listen to more of Brent Penny at the following links:
- Bandcamp: brentpenny.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/brent_penny
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Spotify: Brent Penny on Spotify
- Facebook: facebook.com/brentpennybops
- YouTube: youtube.com/@brentpenny5391
Do you like discovering new music and/or this series? Here are more Singles Spotlights to check out.
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
