Trey Bruce – All Americans

Lurus, rapi, dan sedikit terlalu aman.

Trey Bruce sudah lebih dari tiga dekade meracik lagu di Nashville, dan kebanyakan lagunya lebih dulu singgah di suara orang lain. All Americans juga begitu. Ia ditulis empat belas tahun lalu, sempat dibawakan penyanyi lain, dan kini pulang untuk dinyanyikan penulisnya sendiri dengan lirik yang sedikit disesuaikan. Om Trey membangun loop, mengisi bass, gitar akustik, dan synth sendirian, lalu mengintip cara kerja produksi hip hop supaya semuanya tetap lowong. Putrinya dipanggil untuk backing vokal.

Hasilnya memang lapang. Vokalnya dekat, reff terbuka begitu harmoni latar masuk, dan menjelang akhir suaranya turun ke register rendah ala Bowie sebelum kata Americans diulang-ulang sampai kita berhenti menghitung.

Liriknya memotret mal yang sepi dan tetangga yang ketakutan, lalu di bagian bridge berubah jadi daftar keluarga yang dililit tagihan. Ada niat baik yang terasa di setiap baris. Kita mengangguk setuju pada All Americans, tapi jarang merasa tertohok, dan saya masih menunggu satu baris yang benar-benar mengganggu.

Suara putrinya di reff, omong-omong, bagus.

Trey Bruce Profile

• www.treybruce.com
• www.facebook.com
• open.spotify.com
• www.youtube.com
• www.instagram.com
• www.tiktok.com

Lirik Lagu Trey Bruce – All Americans

There's a strip mall 'round the corner
Lease signs in every window
And fear in almost all my neighbors' eyes
There's a disconnect between the
Politicians and the people
And we know most the time they're gonna lie

Mmm

Aren't we all on the same side?
'Cause there's no us and there's no them
Aren't we all Americans?

We're not kings and we're not queens
Just a pot of melted dreams
What makes us so quick to fight

Pull a gun and take a life?
Sometimes it's just so hard to comprehend
Aren't we all Americans?

Americans

Our hate's just beneath the surface
Of our skin, I feel it burnin'
While the world hangs in the balance by a thread

We're building fires and crosses
Giving raises to our bosses
While our leaders fold their arms and hold their breath
Aren't we all on the same side?

'Cause there's no us and there's no them
Aren't we all Americans?

We're not kings and we're not queens
Just a pot of melted dreams

What makes us so quick to fight
Pull a gun and take a life?

Sometimes it's just so hard to understand
Aren't we all Americans?

All Americans, yeah

If it was my son's class that got closed down
My brother's mortgage the bank sold out
My father's healthcare they would not pay
My mother's job they moved away
Or my wife that said tuition is more again this year

So we can't afford for our youngest daughter to stay in school
I wonder then what the hell I'd do
What would I do?

There's no us and there's no them
Aren't we all Americans?

We're not kings and we're not queens
Just a pot of melted dreams

What makes us so quick to fight
Pull a gun and take a life?
Sometimes it's just so hard to comprehend

Aren't we all Americans?
Americans

Aren't we all Americans?

Americans
Americans

Oh, aren't we all?

Americans
Americans
Americans
Americans
Americans
Americans

Eksplorasi soundscape rock alternatif yang tak kalah bervolume bisa disimak di ulasan Wholes – Berlin serta rekaman lawas di Winyah – Drawing A Blank.