Speak, Brother - Speak, Brother EP (NoiseTrade)
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| Speak, Brother EP |
Release Date: 3rd November 2014
This Rugby trio list the likes of
Biffy Clyro, Ben Howard, Blink 182 and Kate Rusby among their influences which
is a fairly eclectic and intriguing mix, to say the least, and one that makes
me want to press play without further delay. 'Dry Bones' gets things going and
sounds distinctly Mumford & Sons-ish in terms of tone and lyrics which
isn't an entirely bad thing but is slightly disappointing given the range of
influences given previously. There is a folky, organic feel to the opening
strains of 'My Love' which grows pleasingly in to a Ben Howard meets Brother
& Bones-esque stomp but without the
power of the latter.
The acoustic romp and foot
stamping energy of 'Break In' is soon joined by a gang-harmony chorus and a
real sense of defiance in the face of some suppressive force. The final track on this collection, 'Two Bands
Of Gold', is a gentle, mandolin strummed that has its roots firmly in the
traditions of folk and matrimony so I can only assume one of the band's best
mates got married and asked for a song to be written for them. All in all, this
is a pretty good collection of songs but without the bite, punch or power that
I was hoping for from the information I'd read about these lads. This is a
debut effort, though, so I'll keep an eye out for a follow up.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/speakbrotheruk
Live Dates:
19th October - Sunday Night Live, Carlisle
2nd November - Clarendon, Leamington Spa
29th November - The Big Comfy Bookshop, Coventry
30th November - The Clap Hands Club (Solo), Coventry
7th December - Sunday Night Live, Southampton