How do you know when an album confuses you? Simple: when you
\nspend the better part of the day listening to a 38-minute album
\nlike
\nHomesick<\/i> from Coby Brown Group, trying to filter out all the
\nbranches of the musical lineage. Boy, do I need a hobby.<\/p>\n
If this four-piece group based out of New York City reminds me
\nof anyone right off the bat, it would have to be Dave Matthews Band
\nbeing fronted by John Popper of Blues Traveler, simply because of
\nthe vocal patterns of Brown, his acoustic guitar work, and the
\nsimple yet complex style of the music the group plays.<\/p>\n
Does it always work? Sadly, no… but in the group’s defense, it
\nworks more often than it fails.<\/p>\n
Where Brown and his bandmates – keyboardist Oscar Perez, bassist
\nAnthony Perez and drummer Justin Varnes – hit paydirt is on the
\nsongs with a deeper meaning than might be evident on a cursory
\nlisten. Tracks such as “I’m Not Leaving” (which I read to be the
\ntale of a soldier who chooses not to fight his battles – internal
\nand external – any longer), “Dangerous” (with a devilishly clever,
\nhook-laden groove) and “King Of Halloween” slap the listener across
\nthe face and challenge them to wake up and listen to the meaning,
\nnot just the words and the music.<\/p>\n
Even on some of the songs which don’t quite have that level of
\nsnap, such as “Please” and “The Distance,” Brown and company prove
\nthat they have something to say, and that they should be taken
\nseriously on
\nHomesick<\/i>.<\/p>\n
The only area where this strategy fails them is when the band
\ntries to lean back and catch a groove wave. “My Baby” and “Quick
\nFix” sometimes feel like they’re being stretched out into longer
\njams just so the band can prove they’re able to do this. The
\ntechnical know-how is there on these, but the spirit of the moment
\nisn’t – and that’s an essential part of making a longer cut work.
\nLikewise, “Goodnight” sounds like it could have been lifted from
\nthe Dave Matthews fake book, and doesn’t have nearly enough of
\nBrown’s personality to take it to the next level.<\/p>\n
Is
\nHomesick<\/i> a bad CD? Of course not; there’s ample material
\nhere to suggest that this is a group to keep a close eye on. But
\nCoby Brown Group is still very young, and still has to develop
\ntheir own style and atmosphere without relying too heavily on the
\nwork of bands who preceeded them. Chances are, the next time we
\nhear from them, this band will be ready to challenge all comers…
\nand I’ll be happy to give them another spin. Until then, think of
\nHomesick<\/i> as a work in development.<\/p>\n