Gabriel Bernini is a pop rock singer-songwriter originally based out of Easthampton, MA, recently relocated to Los Angeles. This month, we’ll be releasing his 2018 album Gabe’s Album and his 2019 album Record for Bailey on cassette for the first time.
A founding and former member of LuxDeluxe and touring keyboardist for Deer Tick, Bernini is self-described Paul Westerberg superfan, which certainly comes across in his songwriting on tracks such as the country rock infused “Let Me Put My Feelings On”, but elsewhere he demonstrates a seemingly effortless level of radio-ready polish. The sunny “Noble” and Record for Bailey’s bouncing “Meet Cute” feel like megahits ready to take over the world at a moments notice without ever feeling crafted for the purpose. Make no mistake: Bernini is a pop songwriting genius, but he’s also too ambitious to just call him a pop artist, as evident by Gabe’s Album’s drifting 10+ minute “July 23rd Song Cycle”.
If Gabe’s Album is bright, bold and sprawling, 2019’s Record for Bailey is perhaps a more immediately intimate and subdued effort. Gabe’s Album is daytime Bernini, Record for Bailey is nighttime Bernini, smokier, sensual and shuffling, with more focus on folk and blues as opposed to power pop, new wave, and glam.
Gabe’s Album, available on cassette via Under the Counter Tapes on May 31:
Record for Bailey, available on cassette via Under the Counter Tapes on May 31:
Music video for “You Forget”:
Music video for “Andy, Angel and I”:
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