Sway along to Norine Braun’s heartfelt indie folk rock ode to fathers everywhere, ‘A Hero in The Wind’!
The Vancouver based singer-songwriter just released her new album, ‘A Hero in the Wind’, a whirlwind, exhilarating 5-track collection, recorded live off the floor during Steve Dawson’s Henhouse pop-up sessions. This is improv musicality at its finest!
“There’s no time to overthink or polish,” she says. “You just dive in, trust the song, and let the emotion lead. That immediacy brought out something raw and real in the performances.”
The title track, ‘A Hero In The Wind’ was conceived in memorium of Braun’s father, who passed recently. “It came from the heart — a song born of the powerful, healing conversations we shared as we got to know each other later in life,” she explains.
The track opens onto dreamy, guitar slides amidst stirring arrangements, a callback to simpler, nobler times. As Norine begins to sing, ‘A hero in the wind. That’s what you’ve always been. A hero in the wind. That’s who you’ve always been….’, it feels deeply personal, an emotional tribute to the kind of man her father was.
Her voice captivates instantly, evoking nostalgia and remembrance. It’s the kind of genuine love and admiration you can only get from a doting daughter to her father.
Moving at a steady, reliable rhythm and tempo, looping through the lyrics gently, this a track that invites you to lose yourself within its soulful sound. We particularly enjoyed that short but sublime keyboard solo towards the end. Its this straightforward approach to the composition that really does justice to the emotional core expressed here. One of deep reverence and admiration for Norine’s father and the priceless qualities and traits that made him one of a kind.
Norine brings together a stellar group of musicians Steve Dawson (bandleader, guitars, pedal steel), Darryl Havers (keyboards), Geoff Hicks and Liam MacDonald (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass), and Alice Fraser (harmony vocals) who all contribute significantly in making this opus a truly memorable one.
The album cover, a striking drawing of Braun’ father was designed by Katarina Thorsen. ‘A Hero In The Wind is about trusting the moment — in music and in life,” Braun reflects.
Stream ‘Norine Braun – A Hero in The Wind’ on Spotify here:
