“Make It Stop,” the latest single from Portland’s BendreTheGiant, is Ben Estrada’s most ambitious composition to date. The uptempo track features a blistering horn feature, expansive solo sections, and Estrada’s now-trademarked fiery vocals, all of which coalesce into a sound reminiscent of great funk acts like Earth, Wind & Fire. At more than six minutes long, “Make It Stop” sees BendreTheGiant tapping into a musical virtuosity previously unheard on Estrada and company’s other releases. 

But the vibrant instrumental of “Make It Stop” belies the deeper meaning behind the song: Estrada wrote “Make It Stop” while struggling to find his way in Seattle, pondering what his next life steps would be, and combating depression. The lyrics to “Make It Stop” reference failure, worthlessness, and self-doubt. 

It would be easy to assume “Make It Stop” ends in a pessimistic place lyrically, if not for the song’s bridge, in which Estrada delivers a powerful spoken-word monologue: “I was depressed as shit, and didn’t want to do anything. So I moved to Oregon and started making music with a bunch of friends I hadn’t even met yet,” Estrada says in the song, moments before an incendiary sax solo, “It’s been an incredible journey, it has changed my life, and in a lot of ways, it saved my life.” 

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“Make It Stop” is available on all streaming platforms Friday, November 22