 thebrotherkite
Self-titled CD
Clairecords
Genres: indie rock, noise rock, dream rock
Nov 22 - 28 2004 |
When I reviewed thebrotherkite's minimally-designed six song
demo in mid-2002, I couldn't help but notice the potential. The
review ended with a simple, gutsy statement:
"By the time it all comes to a close, you won't be able to
comprehend why the band hasn't already been snatched by an indie
label."
Lo and behold, it's 2004 now and thebrotherkite has a disc
out on established indie Clairecords. It had to happen; the
band's infectious brand of dreamy noise-rock couldn't go unnoticed for
long. And unsurprisingly, this self-titled album is an
incredibly solid debut.
Featuring four songs from their demo and four new ones, this disc
is the perfect blend of shoegazer and noise rock. thebrotherkite combines charged guitars and
percussion with dreamier elements like feedback layers and strong,
lovely melodies. "Simply Say My Name" stands out
immediately due to a wonderful build-up/breakdown chorus and a
sensitively explosive structure not far off from the hypothetical
offspring of My Bloody Valentine, Archers of Loaf, and XTC.
"Porcelain" and "The Music Box" follow in the same
vein, each with a chorus that just begs to be screamed along to;
meanwhile, the passionate "Goodnight, Goodnight, Goodnight" ranks among the disc's
best. The album only cuts away from the formula in two places - "Mere
Appreciation" is a quiet and touching acoustic tune, and "The
Way That You Came Down" occupies its space as a slow-building, pure eighties shoegazer
epic.
You may not have heard of thebrotherkite before, but open
your ears quickly. This is one of 2004's best debuts. Play
it loud.
88%
Fun Fact: Despite similarities in
name, thebrotherkite has no relation to Oregon band thebrotheregg.
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
8 tracks, distributed by Tone
Vendor, released 2004] |
