“If Money Talks (It Ain’t on Speakin’ Terms With Me)” co-written by Daryl Stevenett is the new single from singer/songwriter Brandyn Cross. It might be new, and it might feel like a long time coming. After a life-changing train accident, Cross took time off to recover. That break turned into five years. It’s hard to imagine him not writing anything in that time, but the prolific artist (actor, author, filmmaker, former model) acts as if no time has passed at all in “If Money Talks”. This country tune is has the markings of an artist enthusiastically releasing their first hit.
MORE ON BRANDYN CROSS: https://www.brandyncross.com/
The thing is, though, this song isn’t exactly a celebration. It’s not a kill joy either. “If Money Talks” is the same breath, the same branch as America (“Horse With No Name”) or Neil Young. The quiet beauty is in a few onion layers down. You have to peel to find it, but underneath the hillbilly guitar, the organ and the rousing percussion/rhythm section, a sprouting violin emerges. Tendering a mood that is inward reflective, Cross might be singing a working man is still in prison and the banker holds the key…seems what I am is what I am is all I’ll ever be…if money talks, it ain’t sayin’ much to me, but I think he’s putting on a mask. I think he’s trying to say he’s okay with it and chosen acceptance. When I hear the violin in this song, I hear a sadness. I hear a tinge of regret. The guitar, bright in many spots, is a close second for most noticeable backing sound. It’s movements, like a river, run fast and slower.
Just as the violin in “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” from Green Day, the mind feels nostalgia. You feel sentimental. This is the same for “If Money Talks”. Cross spins a far-reaching web of emotions in this song. If you only listened once, you wouldn’t get that same reaction. You have to let the song stew, let the endorphins and the melody bake into your soul. Unpredictably heart-warming, Cross delivers a tune that helps you invest in your own thoughts. I found myself falling down a path of interpreting this through the vantage point of my own career. We often do that, society in general, comparing what we do to other people in our field. Cross’ lyrics add a lovely perspective on this humanist attribute.
I-HEART RADIO: https://www.iheart.com/artist/brandyn-cross-474347/
I loved, too, how Cross’ voice is not urgent. He seems so laid back, so chill. I suspect after years of focusing on your health and well-being, money wouldn’t matter. That line – a working man is still in prison and the banker holds the key – calls to mind the idea that we can never get ahead. Like Sisyphus, punished for eternity to roll a boulder up the hill, we are forever bound to money. Cross’ song reminds us of this importance, but in his own subtle way, he urges the listener to focus on the things that make you happy. “If Money Talks (It Ain’t on Speakin’ Terms With Me)” is quite the conversation starter.
Troy Johnston
The music of Brandyn Cross has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com