Non-Secure Connection (album)

Release date

August 14 2020

Track listing

1. Cleopatra Drones
2. Time, The Thief
3. Non-Secure Connection
4. The Rat King
5. My Resolve
6. Bright Star Cast
7. Shit’s Crazy Out Here
8. Anything Can Happen
9. Porn Hour
10. No Limits

Personnel

Bruce Hornsby (piano, bass, vocals, John Cage samples, Chamberlin French horns, Chamberlin, cymbal, Wurlitzer, 12-string-guitar, electric sitar); Gibb Droll (guitar); John Mailander (violin); J.V. Collier (bass); Chad Wright (drums, John Cage samples); J.T. Thomas (organ, keyboards, Novation keyboard); Sonny Emory (drums); Wayne Pooley (12-string-guitar); Leon Russell (vocals); Rob Moose (violin), Hideaki Aomori (clarinet), J.T. Bates (drums); 20 piece string orchestra; Justin Vernon (vocals, aural atmosphere); Rob Moose (string arrangement, viola, violin); James Mercer (vocals); Jamila Woods (vocals); Vernon Reid (guitar); Esther Noh (violin); Stephanie Matthews (violin), Erin Wright (viola), Karen Ouzounian (cello), Jeremy Ylvisaker (guitar), Mike Lewis (bass); Bruce Coughlin (orchestration); University of Miami Frost School Orchestra.

Audio clips

Fan reaction

Brian L.: Stock broker Stan be damned, bring the new adventurous Bruce!

Barbara B.: Bright Star Cast, I’m feeling some early Steely Dan.

Gina H.: Love love love the new album!!!

Jennie C.: There’s something really Pink Floyd-esque about “Shit’s Crazy”! Trippy…

Levi B.: The new album is almost like an avant-garde Big Swing Face.

Chris B.: I love “Cleopatra Drones”! “My Resolve” is also stuck in my head. Digging the whole album.

Mark N.: I agree, Cleopatra Drones has been stuck in my head all day! Even sat down at the piano and tried to figure out the chords to the main riff just to keep myself from going crazy. Love the new album!

Jackie M.: My Resolve has been playing in my head all day….

John G.: Great album.

John B.: The Rat King! Hope there is a 15 minute live version of this some day… that piano and string arrangement is awesome. Soulful.

Non-Secure Connection reviews

Financial Times – 4/5 – “Represented graphically, this music would show wild fluctuations, darting from high to low, spanning an octave in a couple of notes, at times resembling the score to a Hitchcock thriller.”

All About Jazz – 4/5 – “If this followup doesn’t throw in the kitchen sink quite as completely, he’s still clearing plates and loading the dishwasher.”

London Evening Standard – 4/5 – “It’s not what you might have expected, and all the better for it.”

Under the Radar – 7.5/10 – “a continued flow of boundless inspiration that begins and ends in completely unexpected places.”

Pitchfork – 7.5/10 – “I’m not sure I ever needed to hear the “Mandolin Rain” guy marvel aloud at the wonders of PornHub, but now that I have I’m not even mad about it.”

American Songwriter – 3.5/5 – “Diverse to the extreme, Non-Secure Connection is the sound of Bruce Hornsby’s restless artistry both lyrically and musically.”

All  Music – 3.5/5 – “Capitalizes on Hornsby‘s restlessness, scaling back the lingering echoes of pop and Americana so the pianist can concentrate on jazz and electronica .”

Laut.de – “A demanding, versatile album is ” Non-Secure Connection”, but also one rich in wonderful moments, appealing guest appearances and with an inspired artist at the center.”

Tinnitist – “Secures his status as one of the most creatively restless and curious artists of his generation.”

Glide Magazine – “More than just a strong & cohesive collection of well-written material. It also represents a continuation of Bruce’s keen ability to adapt to the ever-changing musical & societal landscapes that shape our world today.”

The Times – 4/5 – ““Absolute Zero was one of the albums of the year, and Hornsby’s hot streak continues here.”

musicOMH – 4/5 – “A record to stand beside his best achievements in recent years.”

Purchase Non-Secure Connection

Amazon Non-Secure Connection purchase page (commission goes to Bruuuce.com)