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THIS BRIGHT BEFORE

by NICOLE BERKE

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1.
Subconscious Heart Because I don't know you, for now I will place you Inside of the hole in my subconscious heart And I don't know what I want, in spite of my yearnings But then again, who ever does? I woke with a fright in the middle of the night Saying what if the world ends? He woke with a fright in the middle of the night Saying what if the world ends? She woke with a fright in the middle of the night Saying what if the world ends? What if the world ends today? My body's been battered by billions of billboards Which promise a product to better my life With a sword by my side, I drive through the scene Catching all the eyes I dare not meet in dreams CHORUS With a far away ring there's a stirring of wings Waking up, releasing from this tethered string Oh say can you see? Oh now have you heard? There's nothing we have to fear There's only this fire to burn CHORUS If someday the world ends, This is how the world will end Never just how we thought the world would end: Not with a bang, but with a whimper ***Inspired by “Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot: “Eyes I dare not meet in dreams In death’s dream kingdom These do not appear…” …..… “This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.”
2.
Palindrome 04:11
Palindrome I was falling before your eyes And you were rising to my disguise All just to find some paradise inside this life As cold as ice Backwards and forwards now we're not alone Spinning like a palindrome Backwards and forwards now we're not alone Life is like a palindrome I walked against the windy storm With pain so old and tired and worn Back to the place where I was born I saw you there and gave a warning CHORUS I was convinced of this major discovery I thought that I knew the truth I refused to see all of the signs that surrounded me Blocking my view, blocking my view CHORUS
3.
Set Me Free 04:21
4.
Black Moon 04:01
Set Me Free Words won't say it - how I feel I get so tongue tied Time flies, time flies, time flies I get so lost in your eyes Baby set me free Set me free What if we're wrong? Would we know it? Could we see it? There's a sea of madness Brewing in my bones Oh, can you take it? Quite possibly, I've never known no one like you You've never met someone like me CHORUS Ain't no use in prophesying CHORUS
5.
Another World You, you, you You make me feel so blue, blue, blue I know we've been through all this before I, I, I I know what I've implied, lied, lied Repetition's got me high, high, high All odds are down Keep the sound down I'm not listening Keep the sound down I'm in another world Can't get through The words I've always found absurd Are the ones that you have heard on lips of lovers And deep are the secrets that they keep Silently they creep like ticking time bombs CHORUS Love can turn to hate Just like heaven to hell Let's turn hate back to love Can we come down from the cloud? Keep the sound down Come down from the cloud Keep the sound down I'm in another world (Can we come around?)
6.
Heartbeat 04:50
Heartbeat Once again, I find I am Pacing these streets and thinking Of how we play that game Once again, I'm falling for the things you say …How did we get here? What can we say when we say what we don't mean? These words in my ears mean nothing but sound sweet My eyes to the ground, they stare at my feet But from a million miles away I can feel a heartbeat Oh I know it Once again, I find I am Building up walls between us Like a dream, once again I'm holding back - but I wanna believe it …It's time to wake up CHORUS
7.
Wait it Out 04:18
Wait it Out I wanna know what's going on I've got my eyes open But I'm in the dark Said you can't decide It's weighing on your pride You're so stuck in the middle Of this lover's high I can't leave you But I can't have you Don't want to lose you What am I after? So you come to me Confess everything And now you're out in the open But my heart's still pumping for ya Why do we feel so afraid? Why do we hesitate? Rocking love like a cradle Till that poor bough breaks CHORUS I'm gonna build an ark I'm gonna wait it out
8.
That Ain’t Me When will the clock stop ticking? When will the time be right? When will my mind stop running circles round my life? You never ask those questions Though I can tell you've had your days Now when everything seems crazy You smile and ride the wave That ain't me, baby No that ain't me Another word won't do it Another promise won't prove it One more day won't get us through this Tomorrow's not today Over and over again I've said it Over and over again I've met it Over and over again I've tried to deny that I'm a wild bird You can't hold me down CHORUS
9.
This Bright Before All the way around the world and back again But not quite where I started Is where I am A new beginning Every time we talk I feel the distance wrap around your voice I wish you were here I wish you were near Oh, I have never seen a sun this bright before Oh, I have never seen a light this bright before Home is not where I began It's far from where I thought I'd land But I think you know: Things never go as planned Finding fuel in past concerns Projects me to the future I don't know where I'll be tomorrow But it's where I want to go CHORUS I can feel it I can see it I can be it If I want, if I want And I want All the way around the world And back again But not quite where I started; A new beginning
10.
Those Days 04:28
THOSE DAYS By Nicole Berke The spinning world makes growing trees Whose branches rise with falling leaves That bend and sway seasons change just as the night turns to day strangers come and lovers go until your heart could over flow but that’s the way the way it goes the way it goes sometimes I find that I still think of you and I want to know where are you now it’s been so long who are you now that you’re not with me do you ever think about the time that we were one? Those days are done. Those days are done. The new born child is a stranger first who all the things upon the earth But when she feels a touch of fear someone appears to bring her near Then she’ll learn her mother’s face when to give and when to take just like a smile that was meant for me now it’s just a memory sometimes I find that I still think of you and I want to know where are you now it’s been so long who are you now that you’re not with me do you ever think about the time when we were young? Those days are done. Those days are done. With each day we’re moving forward Never backwards so fast But in my mind I can rewind to find All the things left behind And I remember How we use to be How we use to be Where are you now? It's been so long Who are you now that you're not with me? Do you ever think about the time that we were one? Those days are done Those days are done Those days are done (c) 2013 Nicole Berke Music ASCAP

about

www.nicoleberkemusic.com

NICOLE BERKE's full-length album THIS BRIGHT BEFORE is the long awaited follow-up to the pianist/vocalist's acclaimed debut EP FRONDESCENCE, which was released in 2008. The new record dynamically chronicles the last five years of her life with genuine power, originality and soul. Recorded by Portland favorites Dave Friedlander, Steve Watkins and Tanner Cundy, the album also features a talented slew of local musicians: Josh Lava (who also played an integral role in producing and engineering the record), Nathaniel Daniel, Arcellus Sykes, Bill Marsh, Jarrod Lawson, Max Ribner, Mary-Sue Tobin, and many more. Hailing influence from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Fiona Apple and Erykah Badu, Berke's music is a fresh and well-crafted take on what soul-pop-jazz can be.

credits

released January 25, 2013

(c) 2013 Nicole Berke Music/ASCAP. All Rights Reserved.

All Songs Written by Nicole Berke

Produced & Arranged by Josh Lava and Nicole Berke
Production Consultant: Denise Marsa

MUSICIANS
Nicole Berke: Vocals, Backup Vocals, Acoustic Piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Clavinet, Organ, Additional Percussion
Josh Lava: Drums, Percussion, Synths, Effects, Organ, Rhodes, Clavinet, Acoustic Piano (Black Moon, Those Days), Backup Vocals (Palindrome, Another World, This Bright Before), Additional Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Bill Marsh: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Effects
Nathaniel Daniel: Electric Bass (Subconscious Heart, Wait It Out, Black Moon, That Ain’t Me, Heartbeat)
Arcellus Sykes: Electric & Acoustic Bass (Palindrome, Another World, Set Me Free, This Bright Before)
Jarrod Lawson: Backup Vocals (Wait It Out, Black Moon, That Ain’t Me, Set Me Free)

HORNS
Max Ribner: Flugelhorn, Trumpet (Wait It Out, Black Moon, Set Me Free)
Mary-Sue Tobin: Tenor and Baritone Sax (Black Moon, Set Me Free)

STRINGS
Lucia Conrad: Violin (Subconscious Heart, Palindrome)
Ben Landsverk: Viola (Subconscious Heart, Palindrome)
Tony Rogers: Cello (Subconscious Heart, Palindrome, That Ain’t Me)

RECORDED by Dave Friedlander at Kung Fu Bakery, Tanner Cundy at Klickitat Band Camp, Steve Watkins at Excellent Gentlemen Studio & Josh Lava at LavaLand

MIXED by Sean O’Keefe
MASTERED by Greg Rierson at Rareform Mastering

PHOTOS by Amy Rollo (Front & Back) and Nicole Berke (Inside & Disc, Album Design)

SUBCONSCIOUS HEART inspired by the poem “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot

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Nicole Berke Portland, Oregon

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