Front page banner image from The Brunswick Website

Today we have the honour of premiering a track from the soundtrack of the upcoming film “Brunswick” set for limited release next week.  But before we get into the music created by Matthew Carefully for the film, you will need a bit of back story of what Brunswick is.

Synopsis:

Brunswick is a film about landscape change, told through the personal story of a farmer’s lifelong connection to his now-threatened land. The film weaves together the plight of Sanford Bonesteel, an aging farmer in his 90s, with the dynamics of small-town politics as a residential development is planned on Sanford’s former land.

The film takes place in Brunswick, New York, a small country town facing the challenge of balancing economic growth with the preservation of its rural character. It is a story both specific to Brunswick and yet recognizable to rural communities all over the United States.

So now you see the title of the track ‘Farm Prayer’ really makes sense here – both a beautiful full song in acoustics and meaning.  Before I say I have a strong connection to the American Farmer, you have to know I am Canadian, but from a small town with numerous farms and I see the nature of today’s world reflected in what today’s farmers are experiencing.  Some say that the future can’t be stopped and today’s (re: the future’s) world isn’t meant to be slow & meandering, lazy walks through wheat fields, the life that you live from and of the earth…if I was to say.  Sure there are pockets of the true rural communities around today, but I fear they are becoming a different beast now.  Sometimes progress can be needed and sometimes it is just painful in the transition.  Ahhh me, always one to be living in the city while always having a mind steeped in a rural state of mind.  But enough about it, watch the trailer below:

The Soundtrack

The soundtrack from Matthew Carefully (Bandcamp page) is as you would expect it would be.  Full of acoustic performances – 6 of which are instrumental and 4 that provide lyrics over layers of strings.  All have been written specifically for the project over the last 5 years and aren’t just sounds that looked good and happened to match with visuals.  These songs reflect the heart of a movie like Brunswick – I can only assume that the way you feel listening to the album would be the way you would experience the film.

Carefully provides a truly rural aura that flows throughout the album – it isn’t always a sombre affair with songs that truly make you think of the country lifestyle ‘Homestead Farm Bustle‘ to the heartbreaking instrumental ‘Well-Wished Waltz‘ through the banjo laden duet with Carefully and Katie Hammon on the opening track ‘Walks With Purpose‘.  I don’t know how the movie ends, but with one listen to the last track from the album in the instrumental ‘He Walks Away, Sincere’ it leaves you with a sense of hope and almost peace…probably one of the most beautiful tracks on the whole album.

The song below is my favourite on the soundtrack as I think it sums up the subject matter and the overall feel for the music on this movie.  ‘Farm Prayer’ brings the power of an instrumental but with Carefully’s pining lyrics of remembering what was is no longer.  Listen to just over 2 minutes what rural/country/farm living used to mean.

“Farm Prayer” – from the Soundtrack to Brunswick, by Matthew Carefully

For more information on the Movie from film maker Nate Simms, visit www.BrunswickFilm.com.

For more information on Matthew Carefully (and a full back catalog info) visit him on his Website and read about the experience of making the album from his blog space HERE.

~Smansmith