Written by Kieron Lee
Jeff The Brotherhood have finished their North American Tour in where I was lucky enough to see them turn the majestic Bowery Ballroom turn into a beer soaked mosh pit from hell. The crowd simply went wild for Jeff The Brotherhood in a way that shows that not only have they got a loyal fanbase from touring their first two brilliant and overlooked albums Heavy Days and We Are The Champions, but also one that carries that same underground mentality but pushes it on a larger scale without giving up any of its sensibilities.
This hadn’t been the first time I had seen Jeff The Brotherhood, the two real life brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall with a knack for classic rock sentiment with a modern chill dude vibe flow effortlessly and also with a notable highly professional technical ability and production value. The first time I saw them they tore up a London basement filled to the brim seen it all before music types and ended up turning the place into a fuck all end all rock fest. Nothing to do with what’s in style or ‘now’. Just two brothers thrashing out top tunes in a way you imagine how Bill and Ted might have eventually changed the planet. Wyld Stallyns indeed.
This of course led me into a great deal of anticipation for their third full length outing this time on a major label. Much like their performance in New York they have the same much loved set up but it’s glossier, perhaps even in the same vein as the tongue in cheek feel of their first video’s. A large neon lit drum kit and guitar to match bring an element of glam rock even, along with matching ‘JTB’ varsity jackets.
The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach takes the reigns on production and from the opener Country Life you know you’re in for a piece of modern Americana. The album seems to flow a lot more smoothly than previous efforts which had more than a few stand out tracks. This time around there is of maturity and even dare I say piece of mind within the album, “I can’t wait to turn 29” Jake says of an age when most twenty somethings have serious doubts about their life choices. Hypnotic Nights is all about the fun really and who would have guest with songs like Six Pack, a modern anthem for getting down with your bros.
The album is released on July 17 and along with their style being more classical, their rise has been more of an old school build over a few years of touring rather than hype and it has paid off. Hypnotic Nights is freshening partly because of it’s simplicity executed perfectly. No doubt the title is about the nights they have been perpetually touring for the past few years experiencing the classic American Rock and Roll story, they even manage to squeeze in a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s Changes which sounds like an Animal Collective song at times. Make sure you catch them on tour when they hit up every place worth being in Europe this summer.
If you dear