Setting the tone with acoustic guitar and the lyrics, “Would you buy me a two dollar coat? Would you put the wine in my hand?“, Brick Blair takes us on a narrative-driven adventure of compassion, understanding and oneness with his new single, Two Dollar Coat.
This story, set in an alternate dimension where Brick is the protagonist of the song, was brought to life by the artist who has applied his own past traumas with drug and alcohol abuse to create this hyperreality where the song features “a man who is imagining what his life would be like if he ended up alone and homeless.”
“Look away darling so you can’t see…” croons Blair in a very relatable manner when human beings deal with each others’ trauma, despair and lack of privilege.
Nuanced detail in the artist’s writing are demonstrated with the twist where he asks the listener to look away so they can’t see you pretending to care.
Blair says, “It’s a reminder that sometimes it’s easier to ignore someone in need than it is to actually help them.”
Two Dollar Coat is a new stripped down, vulnerable song from that evokes classic acoustic singer songwriters like Yusuf/Cat Stevens and John Prine, albums like Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, and songs like Townes Van Zandt’s, Waiting Around to Die.
We’re fascinated by Brick Blair’s lyricism and have been exploring their other tracks including On the Zooms and Your Device, which you can stream on all platforms. Two Dollar Coat is also featured on our New Music Spotlight playlist.