I can’t think of too many other bands with a name that better describes the type of sound the members are stretching for than the Brothers Groove. An extremely talented Detroit threesome, these musicians are about as tight and locked into each other as it’s possible to be without drawing stares. The groove is the one thing that can be so hard to find for many musicians who mistakenly believe that grooving is easy. These tend to be the same types who think anyone can play the blues since there aren’t many chords involved.
Pity those fools.
In Clamp It Down, the band’s first release, the Brothers Groove firmly establishes itself as something fresh and new on the local scene that’s original, yet rooted enough in familiar rhythms and grooves that listeners are likely to feel as though maybe they heard this or that tune before.
What will likely clear that up right away are the lyrics, all of which (except for “Space Invader”) were written by Chris Codish. Unlike the vast majority of lyrics heard today — or at least so it seems — Codish actually takes the time and effort to think about what he’s saying before dropping it on the page. When the often-comical phrases are paired with the infectious, organ-driven sounds of TBG, the result is a collection of songs that are deceptively simple and shamelessly aimed at the patting of the foot. These are songs that will leave you humming and grinning.
Keith A. Owens is a Detroit-based freelance writer and musician. E-mail him at [email protected].
