Cary Brothers Who You Are Review
First full-length CD from Nashville indie Singer Makes an Impression
With 2 EPs behind him, Cary Brothers releases his first full-length album Who You Are. Building on his earlier songs such as Blue Eyes, it's a confident debut.
- Genre: Alternative / indie / rock
- Cary Brothers (vocals / acoustic), Jason Kanakis (guitar), Marco Meneghin (drums), Matt DelVecchio (bass)
- Sounds like: Pete Yorn, Badly Drawn Boy
- Home: Los Angeles, California
- Cary Brothers
A New Tale of Familiarity
It's been a long road for Cary Brothers to release his first full-length CD – after all, his first EP All The Rage came out way back in 2004, and the follow-up EP, Waiting For Your Letter, came out 2 years ago. In that time, fans of this emotive songsmith have been clamouring for a full-length album to add to their collections. However, with Brothers willing to wait until he had an album he knew was as ready as it could be, it's only now that these fans can be satisfied. The good news is that it's been more than worth the wait.
Chances are, you may never have even heard of Cary Brothers as an artist, but you've most definitely heard his music. His song Blue Eyes was one of the surprise hits of a couple of summer's ago, thanks to its inclusion in the Zach Braff film Garden State soundtrack. From his first EP, Blue Eyes is given a fresh lick of paint on Who You Are (albeit as a bonus track), while fellow early songs Honestly, Ride and Loneliest Girl In The World also make a revamped appearance. However, this isn't due to a lack of new material – far from it.
Old Friends And New Classics
Lead track Jealousy starts off as classic Cary Brothers fare – a gentle, lilting acoustic and electric guitar mix trading with Brothers' distinctive vocals. Yet less than a minute in, it journeys into new territories, with a deep bass line that lifts the song into the arena currently filled with the likes of Snow Patrol and Pete Yorn, and it's an impressive way to mark the arrival of your first full-length release.
Next track is Ride, and this is the first of 4 older songs given new treatment. Yet instead of coming across as a lazy rehash from an artist unsure of their direction, each of the older songs sounds significantly different from the originals and the new production actually improves already strong tunes. In a recent interview, Brothers mentioned that he saw his EPs as unfinished business, and he'd love to re-visit them and complete the songs to his satisfaction. If Ride is an example of how they'll turn out, fans have a lot to look forward to later this year.
Indeed, as third song and the title track Who You Are proves, this is a songwriter who's not only confident to mess with older songs (which strong-willed music fans can often make artists regret), he's also confident enough to expand his trademark sound on only his first album. A more up-tempo offering than the fans that bought his EPs might be used to, it's a wonderful piece of summer escape, and should help Brothers expand his already loyal fanbase. The same goes for The Last One, which is a pounding anti-lies song that is just screaming out for radio play.
Strength In Songwriting
Yet the songs that he's known for, the heartbreaking ballads that never succomb to being too saccharine, are just as in evidence here as the faster ones, and this is evident in the absolutely beautiful The Glass Parade. Relating the tale of someone trying to mend a potential lover's broken heart, the lyrics match the mood perfectly:
"I found you when you were broken / Too many cracks of deceit / I will give you all I have / Just look up, break down and believe"
Not only has Brothers moved his music onward, his songwriting has never been better than on this album. Although still resolutely indie at the moment, it surely can't be too long before Brothers is signed to a major label. Much like the diminutive Brandi Carlile, with whom he recently toured and who is now represented by Columbia Records, Brothers has made an impressive debut album and one that puts the so-called established singer-songwriters like James Blunt to shame, and lays down a mark for future releases that's going to be hard to ignore.
- Cary Brothers interview part one: From Minor To Major
- Cary Brothers live in Toronto review
- Where to buy Who You Are
- Contact Cary Brothers
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
