Brother O' Brother - Show Pony (Full Album) Hailing from Indianapolis, Chris Banta and Warner Swopes of Brother O’ Brother deal in raw, rootsy blues rock that has an almost religious fervor. Brother O’ Brother are for real and their sophomore long player, Show Pony, is filled with energy, garage blues and never ending rock n roll. Those three ingredients are exactly what it takes Brother O’ Brother to make a good record. I could care less that the territory covered on Show Pony has been traveled before but that Chris Banta’s vocals and guitar with Warner Swopes’ drums bring down the house. Not only do they give 110% throughout Show Pony but they supply plenty of diverse thoughts to keep Show Pony’s 10 tracks vibrant for its entire 35 minute running time.
From Show Pony‘s opening track The Itch, you will hear all of the indie-garage-blues-rock ingredients that’s found in nearly all records of the sub genre, but the big difference being here is authenticity. While bands like The Black Keys are going through a check list of things they have to employ to stay relevant among their target audience, like ‘must have the skinniest jeans’ or ‘must hate every other indie-blues-rock band’, Brother O’ Brother is focused on what’s important to each song on the set list, and delivering on all accounts. Even though there is plenty of the proverbial chunky pentatonic guitar riffs, and kick heavy beats throughout the record, it’s met with a handful of other influences such as the free-form poise of Jimi Hendrix to the artistic vulnerability of Beck, maybe even a hint of skate punk, like in the song Blood & Cigarettes. With a palette of scattered influences across the board, paired with standard features, Brother O’ Brother still manage to come as a breath of fresh air.
The entire album is straight to the point with no down time whatsoever. Clocking in at just under 35 minutes, there isn’t much room for any filler or padding. That’s the sign of a good album when it makes you beg for more. The entire record plays like a set list of an opening act who know they are far greater than the band they are opening for, and prove it by ripping through their catalog at a hungry, make-or-break speed, going for broke. The explosive full on pulsing rock that erupts during “White Dove” between verses is invigorating while the band also can show restraint like on “Heavy Stone,” as the guitar simmers as the woo hoos float in the background. You think the song will rocket off but instead it coolly keeps its composure. There are some other surprises on Show Pony as well, such as the under three minute punk out rocker “Blood & Cigarettes,” the thunderous rain of instruments that pour down on the title track and the slow grinding closer titled “Shelter.”
I will proudly report that there is not one new thing to be found on Show Pony. It is a blues garage rock record that wears everything on its sleeve and leaves it all at your speakers’ woofers. The key is that Brother O’ Brother never lets up off the pedal and Show Pony is the summer ride you have been waiting for. All you really need to do is just open the door and let these nice Indiana boys in! Overall Show Pony is one of the finest rock records of 2015 and maybe one the best indie blues rock albums to be released in over a decade, in a genre that loses it’s excitement with every beer commercial. Brother O Brother is a band that I know we will see around for quite a while.
