On his new single, "Bluebird," Jørgen Brustad takes to the dark, soulful waters of swamp rock and Red Dirt country to create something that's just as rough around the edges as it is endearing. Anchored in the deep traditions of Southern rock and blues, the song is an emotional ballad that sings of coming home, not only to a physical location, but also to a spiritual, emotional, and musical haven.
"Bluebird" makes no attempt to hide what it is, and that's part of what makes it charming. We're channeled right into classic John Fogerty territory, churning guitar licks and all. The production is coated in humid Southern atmosphere, gritty riffs and muggy drums, a groove that sounds as if it's been locked in a bayou shack for decades. There's no overpolish here, and that's the point. It's raw in all the good ways.
Brustad employs the "bluebird" as a metaphor for clarity and calling, a soldier's motto, making sense of where we're from and why, every once in a while, we must look back to move forward. There is heft in the memories the song accumulates, not in a mournful sense, but something more grounding and earthy. It's a track that makes you want to kick up some red dirt and stop and look at the sky for a minute.
Brustad's voice, meanwhile, is grizzled and warm. He lets the mood do the heavy lifting. There's a confidence in the way he lets the words land that's quiet and understated, the practice of someone who has spent enough time on the road to know which turns matter the most. "Bluebird" is a fusion of twang of country, the grit of blues, and the swagger of Southern rock, something that's at once familiar and fresh. On "Bluebird," Brustad is transporting us.