Two people can connect in incredible ways through the majesty of melodicism, and perhaps spring is the best time for a smart duet to debut, as it matches the tone of the season better than most any other kind of song in pop music can. Bruce Sudano is crooning alongside a worthy collaborator in Valerie Simpson this May, their voices accompanied by a beautiful string melody, as tears are shed and emptiness find little comfort on screen in this video for the all-new single “Two Bleeding Hearts,” and though we are not in the physical presence of its two characters, their undying emotion is tangible to us nevertheless.
URL: https://www.brucesudano.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/valeriesashford/?hl=en
“Two Bleeding Hearts” boasts one of the more spellbinding videos I’ve seen from an independent artist this May, but its real allure is the music it delivers to us, packaged in a light pop polish but left relatively unchanged from the form we find it in the studio version of the track, which has a sting that doesn’t need any additional varnishing to make its message to the audience more than clear. The first half of the song is dominated by Bruce Sudano and the strings that shelter every emotional statement he makes, but as we get deeper into the track, Simpson’s voice decides to join him in what will become, at least in my opinion, one of the best duets you’re going to hear this spring. Their connection is as intimate as the players on screen, and they convey the mood of the unraveling imagery perfectly.
I wouldn’t change a thing about the production style Sudano decided to go with in the video for “Two Bleeding Hearts,” and frankly, the same goes for everything he’s been releasing in recent years. All of his music is defined by its intricate detail, but in this latest release, I get the feeling that he wanted the simplicity of his songwriting to steal the show away from any of the minute elements that make up the melody here. He’s got a lot of talent, and given how long his time in the spotlight has been, he’s truly set the standard for a lot of players in and outside of the American underground (especially when comparing his development with that of his mainstream competitors) both in the studio and as a composer.
Though it’s marred in melancholy and occasionally difficult for the recently brokenhearted to digest, pop and adult contemporary fans would be crazy to pass up the new music video for Bruce Sudano’s amazing “Two Bleeding Hearts” single. Melodically, I’m not sure if he’s ever sounded quite as on-point as he does in this latest release, and if there’s any chance he makes it out on a proper tour in support of his latest works, I plan on being there to see what he can do in person. Sudano seems determined to climb through the ranks all over this year, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s earned a place on my personal ‘Artists You Must Listen to in 2023’ list without any need for reanalysis.
Troy Johnstone