Brian Doucette’s new single “Day Drinkin” is the latest romping groove
from this East Coast based artist. It has a fun take on behavior that
most people look askance on, drinking alcohol during the day, and makes
no apologies for it. Doucette has long since perfected his
entertainment-centered package with prior releases and appearances in a
variety of five-star venues such as The Bluebird in Nashville, Halifax’s
The Carleton, and Hollywood’s famed Whiskey A Go-Go, to name a few. “Day
Drinkin” will play well in those sorts of environments and provides one
more piece of evidence for the inherent elasticity of Doucette’s
songwriting art.
It begins with a little musical sleight of hand. A smoky barroom piano
introduction opens the cut before Doucette segues into a bass-heavy
groove for the song’s opening verse. He’s throwing himself headlong into
hip-hop with this track and scores an unlikely but convincing success
from the outset. Precise percussion underlines the arrangement’s focus
on groove above all else and, paired with the aforementioned bass, gives
“Day Drinkin” a sturdy foundation that’s impossible to ignore.
Doucette’s vocals are wide-open. Phrasing his detail-laden lyrics might
prove to be a challenge for many vocalists, but not him. Doucette locks
into the lyric’s needs from the beginning and the percussive qualities
his voice supplies give the track an even more insistent pulse. The
arrangement boasts a handful of satisfying twists rather than charging
ahead heedless of any opportunities for diversifying the listener’s
reaction.
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It's easy to hear this song has a potential audience-participation
number. “Day Drinkin” is a song clearly intent on rallying listeners
around its chorus without ever sounding too crass about it. There’s
ample humor in the lyrics, as well, with Doucette noting life’s plethora
of absurdities along the way. Superficial listening may lead you to
believe that “Day Drinkin” is exclusively a novelty number, but a closer
listener reveals that there’s more going on.
He's having so much audible fun as a performer that such subtleties are
easy to miss. Doucette is a singer keyed into the joy of entertaining
audiences with such pure enthusiasm that it carries you along with it.
There’s no pretentiousness present here. He’s written this song with the
express desire of connecting with the widest possible audience and
achieves that goal with room to spare.
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Nor does he dare overstepping the song’s mandate. “Day Drinkin” lands,
dazzles you, and gets out of your way with minimal fuss. Brian Doucette
is wise to never belabor the song’s potential and it pays off for
listeners with a focused and confident single. He has three albums under
his belt already, a fourth on the way, and songs such as this leave you
certain that he’s working near or at the peak of his powers. He’s an
unique performer and let’s hope he sticks around for many more years to
come. Songs like “Day Drinkin” invite you to cast your cares aside for a
time without ever feeling like it’s a guilty pleasure and we need that
from music more than ever.