Spotlight Release Review | Jacre – Brighter on the Edge: Resilience in Full Colour
Read Time:2 Minute, 12 Second
England, Blackborough
Every so often, a track comes along that doesn’t just comfort you in heartbreak but actually dares you to dance on the ruins. That’s precisely the effect of Jacre’s “Brighter on the Edge” – a bold, shimmering indie pop-rock anthem that finds strength not in spite of the pain, but because of it. Out now, the single feels like a widescreen moment of clarity after emotional fog, taking the well-worn breakup ballad and flipping it on its head.
Jacre, the moniker of British artist Julian Ransom, has steadily carved out a space in the UK’s alt-pop landscape for his honest songwriting and bright, guitar-led production. With this release, though, there’s a noticeable step up. Co-produced by Dominic Romano and mastered by Philip Marsden, “Brighter on the Edge” marries the urgency of youth with the clarity of experience. It’s as if Bleachers took a detour through the English countryside with The Wombats riding shotgun.
The song kicks off with restrained strums and taut percussion – all mood and muted emotion – before bursting into technicolour. A swirling chorus of layered harmonies and pulsing synths declares, “It’s brighter on the edge,” transforming what might have been a lyric of despair into one of triumph. There’s grit in Jacre’s delivery, a quiet defiance beneath the gloss. It’s breakup music, yes, but it doesn’t wallow. Instead, it charges forward, shoulders back, eyes fixed on the horizon.
The writing here is sharp. Lines like “I’ve always been too far behind / To read the writing on the wall” evoke the sting of hindsight, while the bridge – “I won’t look back / Won’t turn around / I’m calmer here / If I don’t look down” – neatly captures that shaky but liberating moment of letting go. It’s personal, but it’s also designed for shouting into the wind on late-night drives.
Behind the scenes, Gabe Lubowe’s drums lend drive and energy, while retro-leaning synths add warmth. The production remains crisp, never overblown, with space left for emotion to breathe. The accompanying Monty Python-inspired visualiser adds a layer of surreal playfulness, a fitting match for a song that finds humour and hope in the mess.
“Brighter on the Edge” doesn’t just mark a sonic evolution for Jacre – it’s a declaration of intent. If this is the sound of falling apart, it’s also the sound of putting yourself back together in full colour.
