Search - The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love :: H.O.M.E.S. Vol. 1

Funny Hats

Gavin B. | St. Louis MO | 04/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The rise of the internet and listening booths in music stores has made us all wiser consumers, if not more conservative in our purchases of CDs. I used to love to browse a music store and buy a CD completely "blind" based on alluring cover art or some other unknown impulse that made me plunk down [money] for a musical group I've never heard in my life. It's kind of like compulsive gambling...you pick a lot of losers, but every now and then, there's a pay-off that keeps you coming back. Such was the case with "H.O.M.E.S. Vol. I" by the Original Brothers and Sisters of Love. I was on a buying expedition to Chicago recently and came across this C.D. in one of those ramshackle collector's stores in the Loop. There was just enough money left in my budget for one more CD, when I came across this CD. The sepia tone cover photo resembled on of those post-Civil War pictures and had a picture of a group of musicians in costume. Some were cross-dressed like pioneer women, others wore masks and long robes like members of a witch's coven. All of them wore funny hats. They called themselves "The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love" (audacious) and the name of the CD was "H.O.M.E.S. Vol. 1" (cryptic). I figured even if the music was awful, I could show people the cover for a few yuks, then resell it on the internet. As it turns out, they are a much revered Michigan band and the Original Brothers and Sisters of Love are sublime masters of quirky, baroque, experimental rock. A kind of XTC meets Captain Beefheart in Cleveland. This is about as close to high art as pop music will ever get. Lush arrangements, sublime vocal harmonies, well crafted songs, intelligent lyrics and sardonic humor...So I'm back to doing more "blind" purchases. Most of the groups will be nowhere as good as The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, but I'll have some great cover photos of guys in funny hats."

The second-best thing about Michigan...

Rob Damm | 11/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, my wife is from Michigan. I'm kind of partial to her, so I can only say that this wonderful album is the SECOND-best thing that's ever come from Michigan. Also like my wife, this album is full of mystery and is sure to become irrevocably tangled with my destiny...On to the music... All over the map! Crunching guitars, fiddles, banjos... The tracks are just stuffed to bursting with sounds! The single "She's Come Home To Steal Her Rainbows" has tricks at every turn. It is one of those records that you just can't GET in one sitting. There are counter-melodies, interludes, dissonance, all within the context of real, tuneful songs. I had no idea people still made music like this! At first (and the name of the band doesn't help) you might take this as a throwback to 70's psychedelia, but it really is SO much more. If anything, this album has something in common with Harry Nillson, The Band, and... the Flaming Lips. A song like "Vintage Schwinn Enthusiast", with its gorgeous Pet Sounds-harmonies turns from a novelty to a devatstingly beautiful paean to childhood innocence. That is emblematic of the album as a whole: it constantly catches the listener off-gaurd and is thus emotionally affecting and sonically satisfying. The highest compliment I can pay this album is this: I can't wait to spend 5, 10... 20 years with it. It's that good. One of those discs destined to make the cut to appear on "The Soundtrack of Your Life"."

Damn!

Rob Damm | 07/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll say this about the orignal brothers -- they're so hot I burned the top of my mouth while playing this cd!"