Wilder Maker, ‘Float Us Through the Barroom’

Wilder Maker is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Gabriel Birnbaum. Born in Boston and based in Brooklyn, Birnbaum sounds like Van Morrison traversing a sonic landscape more akin to Phosphorescent. But ultimately, his singular point of view as a songwriter produces something entirely unique.

Wilder Maker’s sophomore album, ‘Year of Endless Light,’ arrived in September, following their debut, ‘God Bless the Hunger.’ On the new LP, Birnbaum matches the darkness of his songwriting with an optimism found in the songs’ instrumentation. The singer attributes this largely to the making of the album, which he calls a struggle — one that led him to believe he would leave Brooklyn and never come back. However, Birnbaum didn’t want to the album to convey the struggle, but rather his desire for something more positive than what it took to get there.

Birnbaum did return to Brooklyn, and he came back with a newfound appreciation for the borough. This, in part, be the inspiration behind today’s free MP3, ‘Float Us Through the Barroom.’

“‘Float Us Through the Barroom’ is a George Harrison-inspired jam about trying to transcend the petty wrongs and indignities of the city and not let them leave you bitter,” Birnbaum tells Diffuser.fm.

It’s a winding seven-minute track that erupts with hopefulness. The song is brimming with lovely harmonies, Birnbaum’s deep and brooding baritone and an impressive guitar solo — one the singer hopes listeners will take notice of.

“Note Will Graefe’s buttery first-take slide solo and the hard-penned saxophones during the double chorus at the end,” he adds.