David Bridie – Succumb

Succumb – David Bridie

By Chris Peken

Slipping angrily into middle-age isn’t the norm, particularly from a man who has been best known for using hushed tones, subtle colourings and has seemed a hesitant solo artist. Yet David Bridie bursts forth on Succumb with a strident approach that shows he is far from ready to do as the title suggests. With guitarist Phil Wales discovering his inner rock god (at Bridie’s insistence), Succumb opens sounding more like Midnight Oil than My Friend the Chocolate Cake, and when the horns kick in on the title track you know you are in a ride. Anthemic, with a classic guitar solo and sing-a-long chorus, Succumb screams radio hit and should take Bridie into unchartered chart territory. Foreign Correspondent and Swirl provide enough for the older Bridie fans not to feel abandoned, the former dedicated to filmmaker and friend Mark Worth who died mysteriously a week after his PNG documentary Land Of The Morning Star was released. Succumb is the most vital album of Bridie’s career and probably his most important.

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