Gird your loins: Brian Michael Henry is back, and he’s not just singing tunes—he’s flipping scripts. With his latest single, I Don’t Really Love You When You Cry, Henry is making a jarring pivot from the synth-soaked sounds of his 2023 album, If I Have To Stop This Car.
In I Don’t Really Love You When You Cry, Henry tosses aside his electronic playbook for a spotlight on his robust bass-baritone, serving up a love song that’s heavy on the irony and light on the sap: a tongue-in-cheek serenade that’s as blunt as it is comical. Channeling an anti-hero in love, Henry draws a line at tear-wiping, offering up laughs with a side of ‘tough love’—affection with conditions, primarily dry cheeks. It’s a peppy dive into ’60s pop, and his razor-sharp wit might just have you laughing anyway. Henry presents himself as less of a shoulder to cry on, and more like a friend who steals your French fries.
As for the musical backdrop, Henry isn’t flying solo. Colin Summers, of Scrawnyman and Toys & Tiny Instruments fame, drops in with some jangly guitar riffs that might have you wondering if Johnny Marr took a wrong turn and ended up in a ’60s beach party movie. Think The Byrds meets The Smiths, with a touch of The Dream Syndicate’s edgy charm. All the while, Henry beautifully channels the soulful tones of Chris Isaak, the heartfelt croons of Orville Peck and Neil Hannon, and the straightforward bluntness of Stephen Merritt of The Magnetic Fields.
“I wanted to write a song about conditional love, and I tried to think of a very unappealing, unrealistic condition,” quips Henry.
I also thought it would be cool to write a song with an instrumental bridge.”
Visual artist Alice Teeple is in on the fun too: the photograph used for the cover was part of her Solve Et Coagula exhibit at Shelter Gallery in NYC. Henry paid a visit to the show’s opening in December, and the two heartily agreed to collaborate.
I Don’t Really Love You When You Cry is available on all streaming platforms.
Brian Michael Henry got his start at Penn State University, earning a BA in Vocal Performance, before moving to the Big Apple to pursue a Master’s in Vocal Performance and opera. He has since established himself firmly in the New York theatre world and various touring companies. Henry’s operatic training comes through in his gorgeously resonant voice, but his traditional songwriting prowess is juxtaposed with synth-heavy instrumentation, new wave, and post-punk influences.
“I’m a pianist, so pretty much everything is written on the piano, and every song has to have a version that can exist with just voice and piano,” Henry explains. “But even while I’m at the upright, I’m hearing the version that’s electronic, or synth-driven. The cyborg version of the song. I guess all of my songs are twins.”
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