2016 – Funky Joint
By Phillip Smith; Mar 5, 2016
Listening to the debut album,
Dusty Road, from Brothers Brown, puts a big smile on my face and makes me long for
summertime, when outdoor concerts are in season. Thankfully that time of year is just around
the corner. This bluesy, jam-friendly
band is fronted by two gentlemen named Paul
Brown: one, a double Grammy-winning producer/guitarist/singer/songwriter
from Los Angeles, the other, a Grammy-nominated producer/keyboardist/songwriter
from Nashville. The other two members, bassist David Santos, and drummer Pete Young make for an outstanding
rhythm section. This is a really tight
group of musicians.
When I first heard the song
“Cup of Tea”, I couldn’t help but notice the Allman Brothers and Widespread
Panic influence. It’s pure southern
boogie with tasty electric guitar licks and a rich organ accompaniment. The driving beat and funky rhythm of “Hurricane”
is such a rejoicing sound, it should have a label that reads, “Warning!
Listening to this song could lead to the loss of shoes and uncontrollable urges
to dance”. Little Feat guitarist Paul
Barrere guests on this track to lay down some delicious slide. They score big on “The River” too. This powerful song about revisiting the past
is comfort music for the soul. I love
the slow soulful groove of “Love Sake”. It’s a perfect song for chilling, relaxing
and swaying.
Poignant songwriting, stellar
performances, and a whole lot of heart and soul is what makes Dusty Road such a pleasurable listen. I’ll surely be keeping my eyes out for Brothers Brown in concert now.
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