Well-written indie music is, arguably, hard to come by. What strikes me about, BØRNS, whose real name is Garrett Clark Borns, is the care he exhibits in the craftsmanship of his lyrics. The poeticism of his lines, merged with the often funky beats of his songs, makes for a good musical journey. Popularly known for songs such as “Electric Love,” and “10,000 Emerald Pools,” BØRNS graced the stage at REBEL night club this past Friday. Opening acts included artists Mikky Ekko and Charlotte Cardin.
Mikky Ekko was the livelier act. After playing singles such as “Not The One,” Ekko ended his act with “Stay”—a song collaboration he did with Rihanna. Charlotte Cardin’s musical genre, a blend of pop, electronic, and jazz, was a welcome contrast to Mikky Ekko. Her performance was simple: she played the piano with bandmates joining her on stage. When she sung “Main Girl,” while manning the piano, her smooth voice was reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. In terms of the ambience of the concert, the pit filled up only after BØRNS appeared on stage.
After a brief interval of silence when the opening acts concluded, BØRNS walked on to the stage in his signature brown suit. His outfit choice stayed true and authentic to the cover art of his first album, Blue Madonna. First, BØRNS sung “God Save Our Young Blood,” a song he produced in collaboration with Lana Del Rey. Green, blue, and red strobe lights flashed into the pit as the song rolled out. What followed the opening song was a selection of tracks from BØRNS’ most recent album Dopamine. Following this, all of Blue Madonna was performed.
Most notably, however, the concluding song was “Electric Love.” Personally, the song is a crowd favorite and BØRNS’ greatest hit thus far.
With lyrics talking about the experience of some kind of esoteric “electric love,” and lovers sweet like “candy running through my veins,” BØRNS encapsulates the angst and poeticism buried in our hearts.
BØRNS is on tour until May 2018.
