DC’s underground music scene is brimming with inventive bands and talented risk-takers. So much so that it’s all too easy for stellar acts to get lost in the flurry. One band that absolutely should not be relegated to the pile of forgotten brilliance is DC synth quartet Br’er.

Br’er initially began as the solo recording project of Philadelphia native Ben Schurr as a means of completing several unfinished songs he began for another project.

It sounds crazy, but Br’er ended up in DC after Ben and bandmate Gabi hit a deer on the way to a playing a show at The Paperhaus in 2013. Once Ben arrived in DC he never left. He helped start a label (Blight Records) and music production house (The Blighthouse).

To date, Br’er has released four full-length albums – Br’er (2007), City of Ice (2011), Masking (2015), and Brunch is for Assholes (2017) – with multiple EPs and singles interspersed while touring extensively on the DIY circuit throughout North America.

The band doesn’t stick to one musical style. On “Help Me Live,” Br’er turns its focus to moody, silky synth sounds with an undercurrent of dread. It would be the perfect left field, late night 80s college radio tune, if said 80s college radio show was programmed by David Lynch.

Regardless of how you describe “Help Me Live,” there is no denying the immediacy of that beguiling hook. And those gorgeous synth chords…it’s no wonder I keep returning to this track again and again.

Have a listen…

Want more? “Like” Br’er on Facebook and check out the Br’er’s bandcamp page.