Brendan Ranney‘s new album Slightly Out of Focus marks the Claremont, California-based indie singer-songwriter’s return after 19 years away from music. The guitar-oriented album emerged from a period of rediscovery after Ranney found a box of his late father’s poetry in 2022, reigniting a songwriting voice shaped by loss, reflection, and reconnection.

Excellent opening track “My Existence (No Not Today)” is exemplary of Ranney’s knack for momentum-filled, guitar-led songwriting. His voice initially casts a hypnotic, subdued spell with its introspective steadiness, set amidst twanging guitars and consistent rhythms. “Silence conceals my existence,” he sings as sturdy alt-rock distortion comes into the mix, shifting cohesively back to a crisper, twanging immersion. The track’s shifts between hazy contemplations and fuzzy, distorted ardor remind fondly of Pavement and Sebadoh.

Another resonating output, “Second Son” conjures a grungier feeling in its angsty guitar tones and crunching guitar fervor, making for a delectably gritty rocker. Ensuing track “Where I’ve Been” delights instead with jangly guitar breeziness and reflective bass, while Ranney’s delivery—”I walked in, from the pouring rain…”—adds to the melodic guitars in a way that recalls The Replacements, particularly upon the escalated chorus. “Here With You” stands out as well, with poetic lyrical depictions like “beneath the clouds, the sun always drowns” alongside simmering guitars, rendering a haunting, yearning atmosphere. Slightly Out of Focus is a riveting success of an album from Brendan Ranney.

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“My Existence (No Not Today)” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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