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The young Philadelphia quartet's second album, A Wonderful Day, is a
work of stark contrasts and haunting beauty. Written and recorded in just two
weeks last fall, this Brothers Past album
spins the story of a man afflicted by insomnia and unable to sleep. The liner
notes state "This record is about night. It is about the unknown. It's
about what lies in the shadows." Combining elements of modern electronic
music with soft melodies and loud jams, the first blast from "Turn &
Toss" packs the wallop of the alarm clock shock of the morning, in this
case entrancing rather than awakening.
The sonic contrasts are revealed and embraced early, as the electronic mayhem
of the opening number yields to the catchy melodicism of the title track. "The
Ceiling" follows, revealing the oncoming despair of sleeplessness: "Sleep
is just a placebo / Hey that's perfect for me though / I won't be afraid if
you turn off the light / But I can't be sure of what's out there tonight / Is
it the ceiling? / Or are you just confined by what you're feeling?" Rick
Lowenberg's breakbeat drumming drives the electro-groove as our hero begins
to sense the depth of his sleeplessness.
 A
concept album is a tricky proposition. It's simple enough to compose lyrics
orbiting a theme, but much harder to craft music that furthers the storyline
on its own. While the lyrics lay out the listener's locale, it's the music that
marks the mood. Brothers Past does an excellent job of embracing the manic nervous
energy of a sleepless night in instrumental form. The swirling sounds and high
harmonies of "Night Villains" gives way to a mammoth guitar solo by
Tom Hamilton, later drifting back to the anthemic chorus. "Monsters
Come Out at Night" ponders other sources of fear besides their imagination:
"I must be six years old again / Or maybe it's in my head / Living in fear
of everything / Underneath of my bed / Shielded by good intentions and protected
by other means / A cross made of wood, a talisman and everything in between."
A frantic jam follows, building and bubbling to a phrenetic extreme before leading
into the subdued intro chords to "The Mirror."
The disparate moods of A Wonderful Day draw parallels with its protagonist.
At times wistful and mellow, as if on the verge of dreaming, it then snaps back
to loud rock and roll with the suddenness of a car alarm in the dead of night.
Tom McKee's keyboards color the music while adding textures alternating
between spacy and aggressive. Likewise, the vocals range from quiet and contemplative
to screaming despair. Bassist Clay Parnell does a remarkable job as the
thread binding the sonic blanket together. Simultaneously intense yet groovy,
the bass is oftentimes the one thing remaining earthbound as the rest of the
band soars through the air.
A Wonderful Day is a surprisingly complex and deep album from such a
young band. They're well worth keeping an eye on. The future of Brothers
Past will be anything but sleepy.
Paul Kerr
JamBase | North Carolina
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