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And the songs themselves are some of the best I've heard in recent memory. There's so much to love about this album: the instrumentation is widely varied to fit the song--accordions, handclaps, and horns augment the traditional 'folk rock' elements of acoustic guitar, bass, keyboard, drums.
I haven't gone to their website, I'm not sure who plays what, who's singing, or even if they're really brothers, or doing a Ramones thing with their names. And guess what.
I don't know anything about the Felice Brothers. The vocals tend to the Dylanesque, but are not imitative in any way, largely due to the song structure and the pure passion in the singer's voice.
It doesn't matter a bit, because this CD is all about the music.What at first glance ("Little Ann") seems like whispery folk rock of the M. Ward school, the Brothers soon turn that notion on it's head with the Heartland/New Orleans hybrid tune "Greatest Show On Earth" (Sample lyric: 'Put your pistol in your purse/Cause we're going to Gettysburg').The band whips up a musical stew that takes the best elements of heartland folk and combines them with a southern gothic feel that is at once familiar, yet somehow fresh, and is wholly American.
The vocals (more than one Brother sings lead) are uniformly good, fitting the tune at hand.gentle and elegaic at times, raucous and demanding at others. The album even boasts my favorite line of the past year--"I hurt him so damn bad I had to hide in Jersey." That line alone paints a picture of a dark America that we can all recognize and be glad we don't actually live in.This album is close to brilliant.
But I did. This cd is in high demand. it took a bit to actually find one. and I am happy. Thanks
I feel this cd is ok at best, nothing comparable to the past. "Don't Wake TheScarecrow", " Mercy", "Radio Song".
This new cd dosen't even come close. I have all Felice Brothers CD's, "The Felice Brothers" Tonight The Arizona" and the obscure "The Adventures of the Felice Brothers".
He has the best voice and sings some of their better songs in the past. There might be only two songs that I would put on a best of cd.
They are "Cooperstown" and "Boy From St Lawerence".I was totally dissapointed that Simone the drummer dosen't sing more. They are a great live band and I have seen many of these new songs live.
If you are new to the band, try their "The Felice Brothers" first to get a better feel for the band.
The Felice brothers sound like they are having as much fun making this music as you will have listening to it. They owe a debt to Bob Dylan, but the music is nevertheless refreshing. If you enjoy slick production, this album is not for you.
Rarely is something "listen all the way through" capable like this CD by the Felice Brothers, especially nowadays. I've never written a review before and probably won't write another one until their next album- that's how moving and innovative and amazing this CD is. If you're being honest with yourself when you say "I LOVE music," then buy this immediately. And get the "Arizona" CD from their website, it's got a few more great songs and it's only $14 or something- much cheaper than here.
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