Over the past few months, John Joseph Brill has been one of those artists we’ve consistently returned to. Perhaps it’s his reassuring growl of a voice, the heart-wrenching honesty of his lyrics, the majestic production or the fact that his alt-rock sound is a rare bird in this pop and electronic dominated music world. Belonging to the same camp as anthem-makers Bear’s Dean, it’s likely that JJB has already attracted many of these fans with his I’m Not Alright EP. Of all the tracks from the EP, you probably couldn’t have predicted that it was the gently sloping piano song ‘A Place To Drown’ that would receive the remix treatment, but it’s here where Charles Cave (of White Lies) has chosen to work his magic. Building on the sparse yet steady keys of the original and introducing a poppy synth key melody and punchy digital beats, Cave’s remix is a radical departure from JJB’s version. One thing it does do is hone in on that subtle hopefulness in Brill’s words, “if you need a place to drown, I’ll be the water for you,” and expands into retro optimism of the early ‘80s. It’s a surprising transformation, one that appears entirely in contrast to Brill’s EP and yet his forlorn refrain becomes part of the sanguine synth-pop pattern. A wholly reconciled remix that we're proud to premiere. - HT