In a melodic battle for our affection that will ultimately result in the audience emerging as the true winners, Bruce Sudano enlists a passionate Valerie Simpson alongside his own in “Two Bleeding Hearts,” his latest single and music video, which is undeniably as incredible a force as any other this beautiful ballad contains. “Two Bleeding Hearts” is only one of the many gorgeous numbers that you’ll discover when taking a peek at Sudano’s immense discography of music, and if it’s your first experience with his work, it’s almost guaranteed to sweep you right off your feet after only a casual listening session.
Sudano utilizes a conceptual approach to the structure of the strings in this track, but I won’t say that it’s so experimental that more moderate indie fans wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as much as his diehard followers would. All of the songs he’s released in the last three years employ a streamlined construction, but if you’re looking for a near-perfect exhibition of how well this composer can string together eclectic components in a harmony as heavenly as any you’ll find in alternative music this spring, this is the tune you need to examine the closest.
The music video for “Two Bleeding Hearts” is even more engaging than the track is by itself, at least in my opinion, mostly because of the surreal visual component it adds to the pot. The imagery here essentially works to maximize the cerebral qualities that already existed within the melodies, and where some of his contemporaries might have gone with less of a postmodern scheme on this front, Bruce Sudano embraces his eccentricities in this video and winds up producing something that enhances the narrative of the song exceptionally well. It sure beats some of the major label output I’ve seen lately, and that’s putting it as kindly as I can.
This master mix is surprisingly muscular considering the acoustic nature of the material, but I think that this robust approach to the production was necessary to bring out the detail in each of the individual instrumental parts here. The strings in particular have a textural expressiveness that is key to making the lyrics sound and feel as emotional as they inarguably are, and were they not mixed with as much moxie, I fear that “Two Bleeding Hearts” wouldn’t have been as well-received with critics and fans as it has been since dropping last month.
Bruce Sudano is back this year on the strength of his most recent studio work, and from where I stand, I don’t think there’s any need to question whether or not he’s raising the creative standard for both himself and the scene he got started in with the release of “Two Bleeding Hearts.” Its poignant music video aside, this is one of the smartest indie songs I’ve heard this spring, and I believe it’s going to expand the reach of its composer significantly. Fans could use someone of his caliber on their radios more often, and with content like this coming from his camp, his presence on rotation is going to come a lot sooner than some people would expect.
Heather Savage