Album Review // Brian the Fly // Messengers

Self-released

4.5 stars out of 5

Sometimes great art is made during the tough times of life, and thankfully, sometimes it's not. By his own estimation, Brian the Fly (aka Erie County's Brian Kinney) is doing pretty darn well. "I knew I wanted some more earthy, natural tones compared to my previous albums," he said. Focusing on the acoustic guitar as the base for most songs, he "wanted to write less about personal things because I was in a really good place in life and was sick of writing woe-is-me type songs – my specialty." He joked that "of course a couple self-pity songs made it on, but what are ya gonna do?" Recorded right on the heels of Night Light (released in April of 2025), Kinney found the bones of this album during a flurry of inspiration this year. While its predecessor found success in dark grooves, this effort is much brighter by design – the veritable "good twin" of the pair. Perfect for fans of Beach Fossils or early Wild Nothing, Messengers crafts lovely tones full of guitar chimes layered below Kinney's wafting vocals. Thematically tied together, the album centers around "messages you receive from the unknown," Kinney explained, clarifying that they could "be the afterlife, the universe, or from within. At the time, It seemed like I was getting a lot of helpful answers at the exact moment I needed them." Seeing the album as a way to send messages to his own younger self, Kinney baked them into the album. Gorgeous and accessible, those messages ring loud and true.