Well-Deserved Obscurity

Album Review

The Warren Brothers are a band that make you think of those groups that fall out of favor with Nashville but still maintain a loyal following with a warm roots sound. The opening, piano-laced "Comeback" even states this idea with the line "new music ain't got no soul." The song is a mid-tempo, Americana tune that could have graced early Uncle Tupelo or Ryan Adams albums. The brothers also weave a fine singer/songwriter tune entitled "Between The River and Me" which resembles the duo of Kevin Welch and Kieran Kane's approach to the memorable tune. The chorus is a bit too rock-oriented but the verses and mandolin seem to compensate adequately for the Zeppelin-esque bridge. They nail "Change" much better with a focused roots rocker that pays off with the strong chorus and twang-tinted snarl. They settle into a mid-tempo pop style with "Southern Baptist Heartbreak" that saunters along without much fanfare. The Warren Brothers aren't afraid to tackle self-esteem issues, either, on the slow building but infectiously toe-tapping "Pretty." It's the type of song Steve Earle might have considered doing for The Hard Way album. Perhaps the sleeper pick on the 12-track album is "Sell a Lot of Beer," a rowdy, redneck barroom rocker that Toby Keith or Montgomery Gentry would be wise to cover. The piano work from Rob Stoney is another plus here. A softer side of the group comes out during "Trouble Is," a slow ballad that brings to mind singer/songwriters like Mike Plume and Rod Picott. But it appears they can't resist a vintage-sounding Southern rocker with "Quarter to Three," that opens up after the initial verse à la the Georgia Satellites. A few songs on the homestretch are uplifting such as "Runnin Out of Heroes" and the simple, down-home, acoustic touches of "Liquid Confidence" that Tim McGraw could easily perform.