Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on January 24, 2026
There is an inherent contradiction at the heart of Hellbent Daydream, the mesmerizing new album by restlessly adventurous guitarist and banjoist Brandon Seabrook. The first half of the phrase suggests manic urgency—a fervor in pursuit of a desperate end—while the latter evokes whimsy and aspirational reverie, a fleeting escape into a flight of wistful fancy.
Seabrook’s music has always thrived on such conceptual collisions, however, and one listen to his audaciously imaginative new quartet album reveals that Hellbent Daydream is an ideal title, no matter how far one must warp their perspective to grasp its meaning. In Seabrook’s mercurial compositions, the visceral and the fanciful coexist in a kind of skewed harmony.
Set for release on February 20, 2026 via Pyroclastic Records, Hellbent Daydream arrives on the heels of two equally daring but wildly different releases for the label: the 2023 octet album brutalovechamp and the acclaimed 2024 solo outing Object of Unknown Function. The new album marks the debut of an unconventional quartet, with Seabrook joined by bassist Henry Fraser, violinist Erica Dicker, and Elias Stemeseder on piano and synthesizers.
The lineup offers Seabrook an expansive palette and collaborators who share his inquisitive instincts. It expands upon a trio Seabrook has led for the past several years with Fraser—a longtime collaborator in multiple contexts—and Dicker.
“Henry and Erica blend together so well,” Seabrook says. “After a number of gigs together we discovered that we all shared an amazing chemistry. They both bring excitement, verve, and intensity to the music. Then I thought that the addition of Elias’ piano and synth would allow the music to become more cinematic and open up more emotional exposition.”
This eccentric conglomeration of voices invites a wide range of influences to swirl together in Seabrook’s hazy, fervid musical daydreams. The dark theatrical storytelling of Stephen Sondheim collides with the rich, insinuating harmonies of the late-era Beach Boys. Chopinesque chamber romanticism is roughened by the countrified grit of Appalachian folk melody.
The explicit American influence—most evident on “The Arkansas Tattler,” its title a mischievous play on the traditional folk tune “The Arkansas Traveler”—is particularly surprising given how fiercely Seabrook has resisted it in the past. Historically, he has approached the banjo in opposition to its traditional context, using it for blistering, shredding riffery that owes more to heavy metal than homespun Americana.
That influence is not wholly absent here. Seabrook’s carnal virtuosity erupts in the overdriven climax of the somnambulent danse macabre “Name Dropping Is the Lowest Form of Communication,” and in the agitated, monolithic string figures of “Existential Banger Infinite Calling.”
The dream imagery that recurs throughout the album’s tracklist and entrancing moods provides a guide to its surreal logic—a narrative flow that makes emotional sense, if not a strictly linear one. “Human beings are creatures of story,” Seabrook reflects. “Experimenting and searching for new ways to tell stories and bring the listener along is important to me. I really wanted this album to dwell in that daydream landscape, still subversive but in a more welcoming atmosphere.”
Brandon Seabrook
Brandon Seabrook is a NYC-based guitarist and banjoist whose music fuses punk rock, jazz, pop, and metal. As a guitarist, his work feeds off tactile sensation—rapid tremolo picking, contorted clusters, and extreme physicality. As a composer and bandleader, Seabrook has released eleven albums of original music and performed at festivals including Big Ears, Jazz em Agosto, Centro D’arte, Jazz Is Dead, Moers Festival, and Angel City Jazz Festival, as well as countless DIY venues. His collaborators include Joey Arias, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Anthony Braxton, David Byrne, Mike Watt, Ghost Train Orchestra, Frank London, and Ingrid Laubrock.
Pyroclastic Records
Founded in 2016 by pianist-composer Kris Davis, Pyroclastic Records supports artists in disseminating work that challenges conventional genre boundaries. The label seeks to galvanize creative community, support diversity, and expand audiences for noncommercial art. Pyroclastic releases often feature artwork by prominent visual artists including Ellsworth Kelly, Julian Charriére, Dike Blair, Raymond Pettibon, and Gabriel de la Mora.
Upcoming 2025–26 Pyroclastic projects include new albums from Trio of Bloom, Patricia Brennan, Brandon Seabrook, Kris Davis with the Lutosławski Quartet, Simon Hanes’ GARGANTUA, and Yvonne Rogers’ first solo piano album.
Brandon Seabrook – Hellbent Daydream
Pyroclastic Records – PR 45
Recorded September 2024
Release date: February 20, 2026
brandonseabrook.com
pyroclasticrecords.com
Inventive guitarist, banjoist, and composer Brandon Seabrook explores dream logic and surreal storytelling with his mesmerizing new album Hellbent Daydream, out February 20, 2026 via Pyroclastic Records. The album debuts Seabrook’s quartet with pianist and synthesist Elias Stemeseder, bassist Henry Fraser, and violinist Erica Dicker.
