BrooksOfYork is the professional name of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Brooks. Based in Westchester County, New York (just north of NYC), he’s been making music with various projects for over twenty years. He spent much of that time with his Rock band True Apothecary, until that project dissolved around 2015. After some much needed downtime, David returned to the music world two years ago for the best of reasons.
When my 10 year wedding anniversary came around I wanted something sentimental for my wife, so I reached out to [producer] Sam Stauff about 8 months prior and told him I wanted to record a song for her. That was ‘Hot Copy’…
David Brooks (Brooksofyork)
Since that debut single, BrooksOfYork has produced a steady flow of songs. The seventh and most recent of which is the song “Work,” released worldwide to all major streaming services on March 21, 2021. Brooks’ list of musical influences is long and diverse. It includes; Teddy Riley, Timbaland, Quincy Jones, Boyz II Men, Phil Collins, Death Cab For Cutie, Thrice and Bon Iver. As drastically different as each of those artists is from one another, they have all somehow found a place in his wildly creative music.
“Work” opens with a mix of ethereal guitars and ambient synths as BrooksOfYork introduces the song with smooth and soulful Pop tenor. With a conversational yet poetic tone he delivers a call to action. However, this is no rallying cry to assemble the troops. This is about rolling up your sleeves and getting down to the business of doing the right thing. Whether it be love, empathy, activism or compassion, what’s right is not always what’s easy. But ‘innocent’ and ‘bystander’ are not synonymous. As David sings, “Don’t act like it’s none of your concern.”
Musically, “Work” is an ever evolving piece. As the song progresses acoustic drums morph into electronic Trap beats and then back again into a sort of Alt/Pop/Funk. The airy guitars and keys of the intro remain on the periphery but solidify into syncopated arpeggios. There is also some really nice bass playing throughout. By the third verse the song has transformed into a beautiful mix of Jazz drumming and dreamy Pop harmonies.
Listen to “Work” below. You can hear the song on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below the video to connect with BrooksOfYork. Get on his socials and get in the know on all of the new music to come from this talented and uniquely creative artist.