Nope, that’s not Nikola Tesla, that is Evita Brantner’s grandfather custom painted by Damião
Porto and reframed digitally for the cover art of Roots. The newest album released by the Non Talkers, the Pop-Folk duo from Portugal, is a project consolidated by the acoustically organic core of the couple paired with diary-like lyrical progressions. “We believe that grandparents are the basis of a family and they have a very influent role in our education as growing individuals. So from our “Roots” to the present-day Brantner family with the addition of Noa, our daughter, and everything we’ve lived through together, this is us,” shares Marco Brantner exclusively for Blue Rhymez Entertainment.
NOTE: The full-length album is currently available only in physical copies via the official Non Talkers Shop. Blue Rhymez Entertainment does not earn any commissions from the purchased copies.
1. We’ll Be Fine
It’s that famous guitar that’s been heard many times in the Non Talkers’ repertoire. Gently gliding waiting for a stronger current which sure enough does not let herself be awaited for too long: I can’t wait to see the sunshine on your face/ And hopefully see your smile in our special place. Evita Brantner’s voice has always been a reason for joy, recollection, and meditation. The woman hits you with that warm, slightly raspy, yet velvety dynamic that pulls you in right away.
There will come a time when we will tell our story/ About that moment in our life we had to worry, we had to worry, joins in Marco Brantner. The songwriter, surprisingly, adopts a more alert tone than his wife. And this is most amusing as if you had the chance to sit down and talk to them face to face, like we did, you’d see this dynamic reflected in real life as well: Evita appears quieter and reserved while Marco has opinions to express and questions to ask. A most interesting and lively couple that we’re big fans of.
I know we’ll be fine, because we have each other/ Faith will keep us strong, that’s why I tell you not to bother/ Even if times… get harder, sing the two in unison. The amalgamation of the two styles applied simultaneously during the chorus will attract a great deal of attention. A bold move in a scared world.
“We penned We Will Be Fine in the beginning of the pandemic. We were skeptical about it as many other artists were already discussing the situation on their records. That, however, was until a priest in our town asked us directly to write a song on the matter for him to be able to send a message to the community. It was our first time recording an entire song at distance for every participating skilled musician,” share the Non Talkers exclusively for Blue Rhymez Entertainment.
The second section of the song, simply dashing, grows even more beckoning for it engulfs itself in jovial tunes of happy violins and more accelerated instrumentation. We welcome as well the guitar riff that becomes a stand-alone feature of We Will Be Fine as it stands in place for the bridge segment.
By the end of the song, it is clear as day that the Non Talkers are masters of lavish organic instrumentation paired with heartfelt messages. We Will Be Fine benefits of a simple lyrical construct juxtaposed on beautifully orchestrated music thus holding with distinction the commencing tone of Roots.
Song Credits: Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) –Singer, Lyricist; André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Acoustic Guitar Player, Songwriter, Music Producer; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording and Sound Engineer; Jorge Fernandes Rasteiro – Electric Guitar Player; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass Player; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Piano Player; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drummer; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello Player; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin Player.
2. Lovin’
“I thought of the experience of love when I started the chord progression and guitar line for the second song. The act of loving and managing it can be very tricky and painful at times. In the end, it is always an exchange of love to make it work. We have to be willing to risk putting our feelings out there and get disappointed because of it,” shares Marco Brantner for Blue Rhymez Entertainment.
That resounding, ominous synth enveloping the room is hard to make peace with. That must be the disappointment Marco just mentioned. Lovin’ can be really tough, you give your very best/ Sometimes it’s not enough/ Lovin’ now and then can start in a very subtle way/ Till it takes over your heart, sings one half of the Non Talkers in a sharp contrast to his staple style of sing-shouting. This is new. This is awesome.
As the tranquil guitar follows closely the warm, low baritone register of Marco Brantner, the artist shares lyrics worthy of poetry books such as Crying might release your heart, from a lot of undesired strain/ But it won’t make the bleeding stop.
The chorus of Lovin’ is all-consuming and lands with immense power. Wild and dramatic, it is a melancholic earworm: You bet everything you’ve got without any certainty/ It’s gonna last/ You put yourself on the spot with all defenses down/ Hoping not to be shot.
The participating guitars possess glory and meaning turning out to be the standing balusters for Marco’s grand vocals. The dance between the acoustic and electric sound excites the senses of the curious audience hungry for organic renditions. The slow-paced changes of pitch are massively graceful easing the much heavier message communicated by the artist.
Alternating between the serene delivery and agitated call to the risks of exposing oneself to the potential heartbreak, makes Lovin’ a sublimely gratifying piece for romantics and believers in love.
André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Guitars; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording and Sound Engineer, Electric Guitar; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Keyboard; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums.
3. You Don’t Remember Anymore
The married couple rolled up their sleeves yet again and dug deep on their 3rd track, a Folk ballad, You Don’t Remember Anymore. It is a song speaking of the practically untranslatable pain that transpires with the loss of a family member to one of the gravest mental illnesses. Ladies and gentlemen, a standing ovation for the Non Talkers.
The natural piano sound plunges into setting the tone of You Don’t Remember Anymore. The person behind the masterful rendition is Filipe Alturas. The pianist is accompanied by Evita Brantner at 10 seconds in: So many stories you’ve told/ About places I’d still like to go/ A hundred memories I keep/ From moments I would love to repeat. Knowing the story behind the lyrics, the melancholy rooted in what once was unconditional support becomes increasingly palpable and impactful.
The singer’s highly variable voice is on full display as an alto this time whereas on other songs one would have classified her range as a mezzo-soprano. And there’s a high moment when your hearing senses are sent into shivers by this ethereal voice: I wasn’t easy to handle/ But you gave a lot of love/ And in the end, I knew/ You would always have my back. Wow! That raspy on-the-point-of-breaking dynamic is all we ever needed to hear in a song and didn’t even know it. That’s pain, that’s love, that’s life.
The drums that are played by Ricardo Pereira are coming forth with the following passage: Now you don’t remember anymore/ Who’s that person walking through the door/ Your look is still so sweet and kind/ But we don’t know what goes through your mind. In this instance, you will also hear Evita’s husband singing along with her, and that is the voice of Marco Brantner. We gotta give credit to the man for letting this song belong to Evita front and center and only delicately support her lead in the right places. He also attests that You Don’t Remember Anymore is one of his favorite records of the Non Talkers.
And the coup de grâce of course was left for last: “I was left behind by those I’ve trusted the most/ For mistakes made by a young and stubborn soul/ Many times, I am totally out of control/ But now I’m afraid you won’t be there anymore/ To soften my fall.” This is why we love both the single You Don’t Remember Anymore and the Non Talkers as a duo. Their whole musical identity and brand personification is built upon graceful topics, organic music, and soulful vocals.
Song Credits: Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Lead vocal, Lyricist, Producer; André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Back vocalist, Acoustic guitar player, Songwriter, Lyricist, Music Producer; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording, Mixing, and Mastering engineer, Electric Guitar Player; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass Player; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Piano Player; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drum Player; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello Player; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin Player.
4. Oh Baby I Love You So
That is one heart-rending piano. Rain, tears, cold, wind, regret, you can feel all of those states, physical and emotional, in a matter of seconds. As soon as the violin joins, a melancholy of unbelievable grandeur sets in.
Late at night thoughts spin around in my mind/ I realize I lost the light that guides me through my life/ I just let you to leave with no attempt to keep/ You a little longer with me/ I ran out of air to breathe, deeply emphasizes Marco Brantner the last word while concomitantly escalading his dramatic infliction along with the acceleration of the instrumentation.
I lost you the moment I kept my words/ You left me cause you lost faith that I could change/ And care about a life with you and me, sings Marco Brantner with covert layers of sadness and brooding emotions. The ensemble of instruments is shockingly overpowering going toe to toe with the artist and sometimes even taking the front place thus letting the listener whether to sing along with Marco or to enjoy the major display of orchestration.
The electric guitar supremely reigns in the second part of the hook only meeting her equal in Brantner’s vigorous, rugged voice. I feel like losing control for taking me so long/ To realize I was wrong/ But now I know… oh baby I love you so. The theatrical pause before so defines the songwriter as an ace composer due to his pre-planning and pre-formatting of movie-like spins and breakdowns. One can only be left in awe.
Evita takes over the second verse and the audience gets that comforting, dominant hue of a strong woman behind the ethereal delivery: It’s cold outside and chills travel down my spine/ My head is a total mess inside and I can’t see the light/ Everything we’ve built seems to be falling apart/ Without answers for my heart/ Blurring out the past.
“I wanted a dramatic but real song,” shares Marco Brantner to which he adds: “I wanted a record that me and Evita could alternate singing and therefore I’ve decided to write about the struggles of a relationship with both parts depicting their side of the story.”
When the two spouses meet each other to sing in unison, their rendition makes you want to revisit Roots from the start to get deeper, personal clues into their private life. Oh Baby I Love You So is a ballad so convincing that no other feeling than love could have laid the basis for its creation.
André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Guitars; Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) –Singer, Lyricist; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording and Sound Engineer; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Keyboard; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin.
5. Tomorrow I Might Just Be Dead
“First came the intro melody for the strings followed by the piano arpeggio that accompanies it. Then I began thinking of a common occurrence when people are afraid of change even if they are not fully happy in their current situation,” divulges Marco Brantner regarding the 5th track of Roots, Tomorrow I Might Just Be Dead.
The morbid title puts the listener en garde and yet, compared to all songs thus far it is the loveliest. What a funny irony! It’s hard to fight, face life, be brave and search for the light/ To break the chain, release the strain/ Take the risk to make the change, is heard Marco’s voice in an entirely new acoustic setup. If you think of Pink Floyd, it’s up that alley of heavy room, high reverb, a touch of echo, and flat EQ.
The rhyming scheme of the track is incredibly easy to digest, retain, and replicate (the classic formula for hit songs by the way). The narrative follows the true-to-nature identity of the Non Talkers of always uncovering very real, very important, very serious matters: I don’t know why I’m scared/ Of taking a chance on myself/ Each teardrop running down my face/ Should give me strength to leave this place.
Evita’s supporting back vocals manipulate the overall effect of Tomorrow I Might Just Be Dead into a softer creation. This proves the singer continues to be part even of the songs that don’t directly involve her as a primary performer and instead she guards her loved one and guides him towards hope and light.
The hook is ironically an acoustic duality revering in extremely sincere, to the point of being painful lyrics brought to life by glistening violin chords and roaring guitar sounds: Tomorrow I might just be dead/ With a lot of words left unsaid/ And good moments to be spent/ Yesterday it was already late to make one more mistake/ And spoil my life this way.
Tomorrow I Might Just Be Dead is a handsomely arranged work of acoustic art. It unexpectedly employs vehemently opposing factors such as thrilling music versus morose lyrics. A feature few are capable of pulling off without losing the public’s interest.
André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Guitars; Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Supporting Vocalist; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording and Sound Engineer; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Keyboard; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin; Jean Philippe de Passo – Violin; Nuno Cruz – Cello.
6. Finding Myself Again
It seems Marco Brantner won’t give up until he pulls out tears from the audience. Track 6, Finding Myself Again, follows the predefined pattern of despondent musical arrangements. At least in the beginning.
“Once a lovely Canadian lady named Gabriella Brusenbauch got in touch with me back in 2016 through Facebook and asked me if I would be interested in writing a song for some lyrics she wrote titled “Finding myself again”. I loved them… they were intense and dramatic, a perfect match for my melancholic style of composing music. Evita felt very connected to it because of a past abusive relationship she was in and it was also the driving reason for including the song on Roots. It’s one of my favorites,” recounts Marco Brantner.
My life was beginning to fade/ I cried out for someone to aid me/ Before it was to late/ And I became trapped in my miserable fate/ I called you my dearest friend/ On you my life did depend/ I was stuck in a rut, no place to hide/ In you I was able to confide, roars the singer with strength and vocal force worthy of the Notebook movie soundtrack. The songwriter has this incredible ability to concoct singing styles and sonic derivatives that each song feels like you’ve never heard this guy before. Or at the very least, you’re always discovering a new layer in his artistic presentation.
The primary instrument of choice to accompany the relief moment of finding oneself during the hook is the electric guitar: Freedom freedom, no more pain/ This tight chain has vanished from my strained brain/ I finally found myself again, I finally found myself again. The instrument is an elegant, central fixture of the song and melds remarkably well with the male voice.
The track, albeit using an entire 4 minutes and 27 seconds is mightily speedy in finding its way to your heart. By the end, you will think that only half of that time has passed. Finding Myself Again cherishes the inner strength all humans are born with inside. It makes tremendous use of thoroughly organic instruments and Brantner’s pleading yet proud vocal demeanor.
André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Guitars; Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Back Vocalist; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Guitar, Recording and Sound Engineer; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Keyboard; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin; Jean Philippe de Passo – Violin; Nuno Cruz – Cello; Gabriella Brusenbauch – Lyrics.
7. No One Will Ever Be Like You
“I had the guitar melody and structure for No One Will Ever Be Like for well over a decade. I have quite a few of these melodies that I write and then let them marinate until the right time and purpose come along for finalizing them. So one day Evita, my wife, tells me she wants to write a song for her grandfather who had recently passed away. When she heard the melody, she liked it but she wanted it even more somber than what it was and suggested we add violin tracks on it, which we did. Evita’s vocals had to be recorded at home because the song is outstandingly personal and being in a recording studio sometimes is really not the right environment for an artist to unlock their true emotions.” Of course the Non Talkers were going to write songs only based on real-life events. Just because we’re halfway through the album, it doesn’t mean the method by which the entire Non Talkers catalog has been created, has changed. For which, by the way, we at Blue Rhymez Entertainment sincerely thank Marco and Evita Brantner for having opened up every single time we asked them to with no exceptions and gave us some of the most relatable stories and morally guided songs.
When I open my eyes, tears run down my face/ When I open my mouth, words won’t come out/ When I listen I don’t hear you anymore/ I couldn’t say goodbye, majestically uses her vibrato the one and only Evita Brantner. This is her song indeed. The pain and the love are ominous and undeniably essential to the charm of track 7.
During the Roots characteristic type of chorus, abundantly instrumentalist and lyrically pressing, with courageous grace Evita Brantner masters a firm tone during the toughest of admissions: No one will ever be like you/ No one will ever touch my heart, that’s true/ You will always have a piece of me/ Today you’re finally free. The element of personal solitude involved in the recording of the vocals is felt most translucid during these segments of utter surrender to the progression of life. The ephemerality we all become victims of.
No One Will Ever Be Like You fulfills the role of an ode to the artwork. A song to the gone. A letter to the past. Evita Brantner’s heroic and gallant voice is delicately balanced with the superb music that’s been waiting for her pain to be laid on for over a decade.
Song Credits: André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Guitars; Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Back Vocalist; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Guitar, Recording and Sound Engineer; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Keyboard; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin; Jean Philippe de Passo – Violin; Nuno Cruz – Cello.
8. Truck Without Wheels
If you thought you’ve heard the best stories the Non Talkers could have possibly shared with the public already, you are mistaken. The following one takes the crown. Marco Brantner recounts the inspiration behind song number 8 off Roots: “It was one of those half-finished songs that needed an inspiring muse. Accordingly, when I met Evita and I started developing feelings for her, I finally got the itch to finish it. This song is my love dedication to her and she even made a tattoo of the melody of the song on her body. For this album, as it is so personal and intimate, I thought of surprising Evita and adced the song without her knowing but then I didn’t have the guts to go through with it because I was afraid that perhaps she wouldn’t like it, so I showed it to her. That’s the problem of being a couple of musicians, we are very vocal about each other’s performances so it didn’t go as romantic as planned but at least I was relieved that she gave me her final approval. But I did have to do another vocal take for that.” 😀 Loving your wife and respecting her opinion so much as to completely spoil your love dedication song! This is new even for us.
Truck Without Wheels starts in a very similar fashion to song number 2: slow-paced, calm voice, warm attitude. The most notable difference are the louder endings of the rhymes and the protruding acoustic guitar very much fulfilling Evita’s role of a song partner.
Now get ready to question if you ever had real love in your life: Sometimes I feel like I don’t have a place/ If I’m not close to you/ And clouds won’t go away while I don’t get back to you/ Every sentence I write seems to be incomplete/ And so is my life while you’re not here with me. The love is in the air and the Brantners are lucky to have one another and their new family member which you’ll read about below.
The touch of innocence proven through choosing truck for describing oneself, is endearing and of great effect when considering how manly of a voice Marco Brantner has been gifted with: It seems that I’m far away from every dream I wanna reach/ The faster I try to run I realize that I’m a truck without wheels.
The latter section of the song is where the best part of its musicality takes place with the songwriter beautifully hitting higher notes and adding zest to his delivery.
Truck Without Wheels is a monochromatic, sentimentally oriented record. Its neat simplicity supplies the need for a side track for the Roots album. Whereas most of the songs are vividly weighty, the 8th song is a breeze in the wind and a fun story to immerse yourself in.
Song Credits: Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Electric Guitar, Drums, Bass, Recording, Mixing, Mastering Engineer; André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Guitars, Music Producer; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Piano.
9. Noa
Noa, the 9th record off Roots, is based on the true story of the premature birth of the couple’s daughter with the same name and it beautifully drifts between the upbeat, summerish guitar riffs and the duo’s uncommonly mesmerizing harmonies. The latter is especially noteworthy when you realize that Marco is a baritone and Evita – an unmistakable mezzo-soprano voice.
The joyous incipient piano notes are noticeably employed right away to create the very personal atmosphere that will later reveal itself to be a heart-to-heart ode by the parents for their daughter. The guitars, like treasured incantations, convey a fragmentary reality that helps the much sweeter piano become a bit more tangible. And together, the instruments draw the exclusive acoustic inspiration from the family addition named Noa: You’re so much more than we could ever expect/ A beauty beyond compare/ We can’t handle so much love/ Contained in our chests/ You’re a diamond in the rough. Marco and Evita’s voices carry the purpose of expressing adoration for their offspring and for the first time since the Non Talkers hit the market, the joy in their tonality is more than palpable.
We also have to take the time to talk about the Non Talkers’ vocals on Noa. The married couple brilliantly vibe with one another and reverberate with power, strength, and volume more than ever before. If previously their records felt like a push-and-pull dance, now they’re a united front singing their hearts out for Noa. The effect is twofold: enthralling and soul-touching at the same time.
The bridge ladies and gentlemen, is where the home run is scored. The instrumental all of a sudden is stripped down, the tambourine sound is elevated, the anticipation increases, the sonic reveal takes places with Marco’s out-of-this-world yeah shout right at the end: The apple of our eye/ There is no one like you/ That means as much as you do/ Yeah! Beautifully done Non Talkers. Beautifully done!
After another repeat of the first verse, Noa comes to an endearing end. The song represents a humane softening of the otherwise deep and emotionally charged songs by the Non Talkers. Both intense and childlike, Noa is highly enjoyable, incredibly catchy, and outstandingly heartfelt. If there’s anyone in this world able to turn mainstream listeners into Pop-Folk fans, they are the Non Talkers.
Song Credits: André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner), Evita Mireille Carlo Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Singers, Songwriters, Producers; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording and Sound Engineer; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Pianist; Jorge Fernandes Rasteiro (Jorge Rasteiro) – Electric-Guitar Player; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass Guitarist; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drummer.
10. Achieve Victory
Achieve Victory commences scarily similar in presence to a fight song like those badass instrumentals in Lion King for example. The boundless choir voices raise to the sky like a premeditated blizzard and resonate through the speakers as if they took over the Duomo di Milano.
This just might be your new morning anthem: Waking up, jumping out of bed/ A lot of ideas in our heads/ Today is the day/ We’re gonna make a change. Chicken Little anyone? No? Just us? Seriously speaking, this is the most positive song on Roots. We are grateful to the married duo for having tried to satisfy all tastes and preferences. The effort has been duly noted.
The choir voices acting as a tangled, unified mass lay a delightful foundation for the singers to glide on and showcase their versatility. We believe that you will know/ Which way is best to go/ We have no doubts/ That we’ll shout out loud/ Words of hope all around/ We wanna build a place/ Where you feel safe, throbs with sincerity and optimism the voice of Evita Brantner being augmented in commercial appeal by Marco’s supporting vocals.
Around the second minute, we are met with a most uncharacteristic, perfect, tense instrumental bridge. The techno vibes start gradually then more decidedly, and finally, they’re stirring the electro synths in loops and flickering sections that make you pay special attention.
When the loud drums add themselves to the equation, it’s a fight scene! Clashing thunders and an aggravated electric guitar is all you need to hear to know this is epic. The Non Talkers are surpassing themselves in highly unpredictable ways with Achieve Victory but most satisfactory ones at that.
Song Credits: André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Guitars; Evita Mireille Carlo Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording and Sound Engineer, Guitars, Synth and Drum Programming; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Pianist; José Pereira – Drums.
11. You Are My Home
“My parents got divorced when I was only 7 years old and my mom raised me and my sister by herself,” recounts Marco Brantner. He adds: “She is the epitome of strength and determination. My mom was a foreigner from Austria with 2 kids to raise in a new country, Portugal, and a restaurant to look after in a language she could barely express herself. She never imposed anything on me and respected my choices always letting me be authentically me and because of that, she deserves her own song on Roots.”
You Are My Home kicks things off on a downtempo tone. Mysterious and dark. But hold your horses because Marco comes in like a knight in shining armor and fixes the brooding mood: Many choices I’ve made over time in a big way are down to you/ I was free to do whatever I wanted in my life because of you/ It’s amazing how you trusted in me/ Without any doubts about what I believed/ And the times when I hesitated most/ You were the first to thrust me forward to the road. Marco’s guitar is so famous by now that we might as well call him Marco Guitar Brantner. There hasn’t been a single song without it.
Cherishing his mother in a most appreciative and veritable fashion, after hinting upon the very title of the album on the hook (You are my home and there’s where my roots belong/ I grew up leaning against a strong wall) the musician goes on to grant the audience a triumphant electric riff that dashes off veiled in the purest form of love that human beings get to meet first in their life: that of a mother.
I used to tell you this is what I want/ And you’d answer me back then go for it/ Other times I’d say I don’t know which way to go/ And you’d say don’t worry and be patient cause time will show you the
way, slows down the orchestration along with a simmered version of Marco’s voice. Did we mention how good of a songwriter the man is? Yes, we did.
After an amped-up bridge section by the second most famous guitar of Brantner, the electric one, the 11th song concludes on a musical assurance of love, peace, and harmony. You Are My Home is a song of historical atmosphere for it immortalizes the supernatural mother-son bond that has deeply impacted the musician throughout his lifetime. The accompanying music is soothing and of exceptional quality.
Song Credits: André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Guitars ; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording, Sound Engineer, Electric Guitar; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Piano; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums.
12. We Don’t Feel That Way
“This song is very representative of the moment we chose music for a career. Some of our family members were really worried about us going down that path giving us advice to do it as a hobby and find us “real” jobs. Our answer to that was “we know where you are coming from, however, we don’t feel that way”. Life is too short to not try to fight for our dreams,” share Marco and Evita Brantner about the 12th track of the album.
Now we have to admit, in all honesty, we were not ready in the least for the punch of bluntness delivered so casually from the duo: Life keeps running and we still don’t see/ A way to settle down and stand on our feet/ People keep saying we are getting old/ That it’s time for us to stop and build a home. The message is communicated in a very conversational tone and with a slight hue of sorrow. That would be the indie musician’s battle with the world around him and his self-doubt. Especially the older one gets. Marco and Evita, WE UNDERSTAND YOU ❤
Okay, none of us cried until here. Now we did. Fear and doubts threaten our minds/ Like black clouds covering the sky/ The clock is ticking we’re running out of time/ A battle is taking place between our head and hearts, shatter us the unbelievably honest Non Talkers. Women think society pressures them into having children before they hit 30. Wait until you become a musician who hasn’t made it in his early 20s 😀 Thankfully the tides are turning and we all have hope now due to the likes of social media and people’s natural desire to rid of synthetic music and turn back to what made music cool in the first place: a good voice, good music, and meaningful lyrics.
Around minute 2 Evita and Marco do a beautiful exchange of aaay succeeded by the broad, abundantly sounding electric guitar. The ending, coming in soon after, presents Marco in a very interesting element: something he’s very comfortable with but has left in the past.
Way more Rock and much less Pop, We Don’t Feel That Way is an exuberant song that draws its shine from being of therapeutic value. It also offers depth to the couple emphasizing their effortlessness in commanding more than their primary genre.
Song Credits: Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Singer; André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Guitars; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording, Sound Engineer; Jorge Fernandes Rasteiro – Electric guitar; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Piano; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin.
13. Glory And Fame
Albeit starting with a guitar, Glory and Fame places the piano front and center thus challenging the artist to fit in. Will the Non Talkers succeed in doing so? Let’s find out.
Evita Brantner’s voice changes direction this time and performs from a new point of view, that of a teacher’s. The obscure, authoritarian vocal dynamic does wonders for delivering a stone-cold message: You dreamed/ Of glory and fame/ Lights on your face/ Always striving to achieve your aim/ Be important and say: this feeling of being in control is just great/ But time has gone by and although you’ve arrived you feel less alive. Ouch! The price for basically any self-accomplished DIY individual. The amount of time and stress it takes you to get to the top overshadows the joy that comes from it. But we digress.
The singer’s melodic motif follows the guitar and vice-versa. Sometimes one lands before the other, and often simultaneously. Affection blended with pity would be the best term pairing to describe the evoked feelings as a result of the jarring lyrics: Arrogance doesn’t feed your soul, doesn’t bring you love/ To shine on your life/ And after all you realize when you had nothing you had more/ Than now that you have it all except your soul.
The musical breakdown grows charming and generous in blending instruments typical of Pop Rock bordering Acoustic Rock. The rhythm is also considerably more upbeat compared to the rest of Roots. One would have never expected Evita’s strikingly resounding voice to go so smooth with this genre.
Evita Brantner implants moral values across her lyrics for the entire duration of Glory And Fame. The stoic dignity and bulletproof inner compass the songstress uses to guide her advice and remarks make for a stunning complementary mix with Rock music.
Song Credits: Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Singer; André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Guitars; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording, Sound Engineer, Electric Guitar; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Luis Filipe Soares Alturas (Filipe Alturas) – Piano; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums; Mariana Filipa Amorim Antunes (Mariana Antunes) – Cello; Melanie Domingues Curto (Melanie Curto) – Violin.
14. You Can’t Be Waiting
“I’ve written this song so long ago that I can’t even recall anymore how it started or what was the reason behind it. I think it started with the guitar pattern and I remember that I really enjoyed the melody of the keyboard on the chorus, which was kind of unexpected. The song talks about the fact that sometimes we love a person who doesn’t love us back and we wait way too long to let go,” explains Marco Brantner the inspiration behind the closing song off Roots.
Knowing how much the musician adores his wife it is quite difficult to imagine the man was capable of writing such lyrics: You can’t be waiting for someone in your mind/ When reality is far away from your sight and your vision won’t materialize/ You should know that time can be a long line with no end
a high rent for your hopes and plans. The improvised endings show up as asymmetrical chunks of belting and vibrato-ing (that may actually not be an official word :grin:). Marco Brantner is having fun with his singing parts and it shows. The contagious uplifting mood is a cause for jubilation. The songwriter, therefore, is not gloomy and melancholic all the time. He can be happy too!
When the couple joins forces and sings together, it works out curiously well. With both voices being noisy and steadily upbeat, one would imagine a much different outcome than when you hear the Brantners. The neat song structure is pleasant and breezy thus facilitating the transition of the message from the artists to the consumer. This bit here is particularly relatable: Dying for love, losing the north, becoming who you’re not/ Fooling yourself and becoming addicted to something lost/ So you should know that.
Comparatively soft and rolling, You Can’t Be Waiting feels like a new and exciting song of an optimistic Rock caliber. This last fun creation assured an excellent, round impression of the Non Talkers’ Roots.
Roots is an unquestionably different project of medium length, probably even considered long by more modern standards, that captivates the audience’s senses and swiftly earns bonus points through its preponderantly organic music, warm vocals, relatable narrative, and the offered seat at the table of the Non Talkers’.
Song Credits: Evita Barbiaux Carvalho (Evita Brantner) – Singer; André Marco Brantner Carvalho (Marco Brantner) – Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Guitars; Paulo Jorge Baixinho Ferreira (Paulo Baixinho) – Recording, Sound Engineer; Jorge Fernandes Rasteiro – Electric guitar; João Filipe Dias Rangel (João Rangel) – Bass; Ricardo Manuel Carneiro Silva Pereira (Ricardo Pereira) – Drums.
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2022
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 