Gosh, remember all the fuss about Brother/Viva Brother? That was a fun trip down Chew-’em-up-and-spit-’em-out Lane, wasn’t it?
A quick recap for those that have forgotten (deliberately or otherwise):
1) Brother form after discovering Britpop at an I Love The 90’s club night;
2) Amidst much hype, the NME puts Brother on their cover as part of the ‘Return of the Great British Guitar Band’;
3) Six months later, the NME experiences a moment of clarity, and buries the by-then Viva Brother in a 5/10 album review;
4) Viva Brother fold (with a surprising amount of sympathy, considering), mortally wounded by the hand that once fed them.
So, with this in mind: endless,vast, skyscraping kudos is due to Brothers, a (very) young Cardiff guitar band who have given themselves a moniker only one consonant away from the above horror-story.
At least Brothers have actual brothers in the band. And at least Brothers have a sprightly non-90s-throwback song like Gun Runner to simultaneously attract and deflect attention.
What’s really enjoyable about Brothers‘ songs is that they sound, to these ears at least, to be free of cynicism or front. There are plenty of guitar bands who are carefully aping guitar sounds from years gone by – and while obviously Brothers sound like bands that have come before them, they are not a pastiche, deliberate or otherwise.
There’s no sly eye on an angle – a song like Gun Runner is the sound of some sharp young kids playing sharp good songs with vim, youth and melody all stirred in.
It goes without saying that a young, talented, good-looking, interesting guitar band are ones to watch. So do watch out for Brothers. But it’ll be for the right reasons.