In a recent NME interview, frontman Lee Newell spouts "Honestly, we hate everything. Everything's rubbish".
What, Lee, even your own band?
Well, yes actually. The band spend much of the interview giving scathing remarks as to the state of the British music industry, but Brother are no better themselves. Hailing from Slough, the lads' overt ambition stems from their fear of wasting their lives and wanting to escape their hometown (NB. having never been to Slough, I by no means share this opinion). What better thing to do than turn to music?
The trouble is, they seem to have underestimated the amount of musical talent required to 'make it' in the business. Instead, they've compensated with sheer audacity - their introductory YouTube video featuring amusingly cliched attempts to live up to the rock 'n' roll lifestyle is embarassing - and declare cocksure comments about being the future of British music.
How wrong they are.
Brother have (apparently) pioneered Grit-pop. Essentially, their sound is best described as a mix of Oasis and Arctic Monkeys and is a throwback to the Brit-pop bands of the early '90s. Unlike the recent revivals of Blur, Pulp et al (as well as Liam Gallagher's newly established band: Beady Eye) who, in their day, were novel enough to inspire a whole musical movemet, Brother bring nothing fresh to the table. Their songs may have some memorable hooks, but their musical ability is so basic that this must be sheer luck. It's apt, then, that this track is entitled Time Machine: the lads are twenty years too late.
1/5
