We’ve all been thinking about America over the past few years – not just us who have been observing with increasing worry but also from within the United States itself. Noah Hoffeld has seen it, he’s had the same worries himself. His new single, ‘Born For America’, sees the singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Upstate New York take a stand for both the love of his country, and also the pain he feels at its current state.
Americans have been asking themselves, has their nation lived up to all the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, or is equality not the priority originally outlined? Environmental issues, health crises, war on many fronts all over the world – is the USA still in a position to take a stand? Noah Hoffeld asks these questions in his thought-provoking anthem.
A graduate of Juilliard, Hoffeld plays cello and piano as well as sings, his vocals strong and rich, with a hint of Tom Petty, John Lennon, or even Bob Dylan. His lyrics certainly evoke the latter, and the song is though-provoking and deeply moving.
‘Born For America’ serves as the pivotal centre of ‘Mobile Home’, Hoffeld’s most recent long player, and serves as a showcase for his gorgeous instrumentals and voice. The album serves as a fusion of the experiments he conducted in Bodhiheart, his cello and piano duo, which drew in equal parts from chamber music, and Beatles-esque pop-rock. While ‘Born For America’ has the poise and quality of a classical piece of music, it’s just as emotionally charged as the 70s singer-songwriter tradition. Producer Mark Plati, who co-produced David Bowie’s 1997 album, ‘Earthling’, took Hoffeld’s passion and on ‘Mobile Home’ transformed it into a portrait in sound of an artist whose many facets include a mature understanding of how to craft songs, instrumental skills beyond belief, and an immensely expressive voice.
The music video, directed by Piotr Redlinsky, sees Hoffeld sitting at his piano for the majority of the clip, with every gesture and emotion that moves across his face captured, and blurred slightly, in order to express the sense of destabilisation present in the song. Hoffeld’s plea for healing, across the nation of the United States, as well as the world, is made manifest, and we can guarantee not one person who sees it will miss the relevance.
Watch the video for ‘Born For America’ below, and follow Noah Hoffeld online for more about the man and his music. You can find him on his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
