As the opening title track suggests, Braver is a slight departure from her traditional acoustic folk beginnings. Falling somewhere between pop and indie folk, ‘Braver’ is imbued with a determination and grit seen only in those oppressed for too long, rising from an even-toned beginning into an impassioned climax, as if shackles are shaken free across the runtime. The song comes complete with a video which carries the following quote from Abigail Adams: “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” That should give a little more context.

“Dry eyes, a deep glass, a quiet rage
Violence is nice when you have no place

Oh, you prince of pride
You have me, you hate me and

I cannot take this anymore
I am not what you want me for

I have no weight, have no weight”

‘Blue’ is slower and more delicate, though again the song grows in conviction as the instrumentation swells, and ‘The Hunt’ questions the flimsy façade of masculinity explicitly, the lyrics unflinching. “And is this what makes you a man?” she sings, “To take me in and let me stand / Then cut me down so you can hunt”. ‘Used To It’ is a gentle electro-pop ballad that threatens to boil over without ever quite managing it, before closer ‘Wet Lungs’ sees a return to a piano-led sound, the vocals tender and graceful and echoing in the spaces between notes. Again, the song builds toward a climax, as if Fowler is propelled forwards by her own words, drawing strength and emotion from their sound and order.

“And I don’t need moonlight to tell me it’s evening
And I don’t need wet lungs to know that I’m sinking
And I could use help from you
But how can I ask you to
Climb so far down”

Braver is out now and you can buy it from the Sal Fowler Bandcamp page.

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