Jeff The Brotherhood - Heavy Days (for BlagSound.com)

Jeff The Brotherhood Heavy Days
Infinite Cat Records

Heavy Days is a rough ride, to say the least. Brainchild of the brothers Orrall from Nashville, Jake and Jamin, Jeff The Brotherhood cross the bumpy road between dense, buzzing garage rock and fizzy, psychedelic noise punk – sort of exactly what you’d expect from a band that’s toured with Jay Reatard and Sonic Youth respectively. Sadly though, quite often it seems, their directions are a bit off.

It’s not as simple as a trip and stumble though, rather a sort of colossal, lumbering mass of a record. The first four tracks are full on, chest-heavy numbers (‘Heavy Days’ and ‘U Got The Look’ in particular); Pavement meeting Bad Religion perhaps, blanketing a frothing core. Still though, this all feels relatively safe.

Thankfully, tension eases, and the boys wind through several experimental numbers, toying with life’s ups and downs and, thankfully, showing a bit of diversity. ‘Tropics’ softens the tone – the catchy, reverb-fuelled mumblings of an aching soul, in the same vein as Glasvegas – whilst instrumental ‘Heavy Krishna’ builds again like a Battles number, moulding simple solos into a high-stacked flurry of excitement. And then, quite unexpectedly, we’re plunged into the bubbly surf-rock riffs of the appallingly named ‘Bone Jam’. You really don’t know where to put yourself.

The heavy vibe lifts up by the closing numbers, but sadly, with much weaker impact. ‘I Don’t Need Yr Tast-ti’ is one such stumble, starting with a generic metal riff, and then plodding into calypso-indie territory, in such a way that you just want to smack your head against a wall. Closer ‘Seasonal Jam’ is the same sadly – not that it’s an awful tune, just that it bears no similarity whatsoever with the rest of the record, with its repetitive synth crescendo holding, literally, no substance whatsoever.

Imagine Jeff The Brotherhood as the sort of band your older, teenage brother would form. As hard as they may try, and as good as they may think they are, you just can’t help but think – they’re a bit shit. Glimmers of potential are rushed over, smudged by the need to make everything sound bigger, leaving a lasting image of naivety more than anything else. Heavy Days is indeed consistent and strong at places, yet on a whole, it’s incoherent and downright irritating by its end. Sorry boys, this just won’t wash.

5/10