We may have went on about this before but second albums, in our opinion, are the hardest ones to make. For the first one, artists tend to have years of material and at least some sort of a lifetime and life experience to draw on before recording. Once that’s expunged, what’s next?
When it comes to Boston Alt-Country+ act Other Brother Darryl, that second album quandary is especially tough as upcoming Hey Yeah Hey will be the first without the physical presence of co-founder Dave Mirabella who tragically passed on in 2022 (Although, he does still act as a Spiritual Guide for the remaining Octet). That said, if you’ve ever listened to or seen the group made up of Dan Nicklin (Vocals, Harmonica, Percussion), Nate Leavitt (Acoustic Guitars, Vocals, Chimes), Dan Cederholm (Drums, Banjo, Vocals), Derek Feeney (Acoustic guitar, Vocals), Chad Raleigh (Electric Guitars, Lap Steel, Mandolin, Vocals), Jim Collins (Bass, Vocals), Dave Lieb (Acoustic Piano, Fender Rhodes, Vocals) and Matt Odabashian (Hammond Organ, Moog Synthesizer) then you already know the answer to that. Hell, the second this record was announced we were readying a draft. Without hearing a note! Then we got the advance and consumed it instantly and found ourselves with an even deeper appreciation of the band and this record which is a gotDamn triumph and filled with everything you already liked about OBD but taken to the next level.
Think of this as Other Brother Darryl untethered and really coming into their own, moving through the fog and pushing out of the dark with a brighter, more hopeful collection of tunes that’s earnest, emotive and not bound by any one genre.
There are not enough intros in today’s albums. Those fade in/fade out moments to maybe introduce thematic elements or just set the tone, y’know? Hey Yeah Hey‘s got three of ’em and we’ll touch on each of them as we go but for now, “Hey Yeah Hey (Prelude)” is that aforementioned tone setter and the kind of track that makes you picture the band either on stage or in the studio just sitting down and feeling out the vibes before the recording/set starts. Next is “Waiting On A Stranger” which is just iconic. Subtle/unassuming to start with vocal melodies swelling and adding layers amidst subtle strums before the rest of the band enters on a track that’s not quite Folk, not quite Americana, not quite Alternative, not quite Country but all phenomenal.
Single “Take It With You” sounds just as fresh and vibrant within HYH as it did on its’ own when released in April as does “Peaceful Alibi” which dropped in March and is peak OBD through and through. “Something’s Afoot” delivers an even quieter, more introspective OBD experience with the Mandolin, Hammond and Acoustic Guitars especially hitting home before a playful, Beatles-esque breakdown gives way to Nicklin’s repeated declaration of “I believe in love” to close out the song.
The thematic HYH elements return around the halfway point on the aptly titled “Hey Yeah Hey (Reprise)” which, upon hearing, reminded us of a less intense “The Swamp Song” from Oasis’ What’s The Story…. which had its’ own running themes throughout that legendary sophomore album while lush vocal harmonies begin the bright “Too Right” with the Piano-laden “That Takes Time” blurring the lines between Pop and Americana.
“Wasted Melody” is built off so many moving parts that converge in the most delightful way to bring listeners a type of ethereal lullaby and then penultimate ditty “Hold On Hollywood” brings out the Gospel Twang for a song that’s the ultimate bring the house down kind of closer followed by the real finale as “Hey Yeah Hey (Finale)” finishes this story and the connecting thread that’s been wonderfully woven throughout Hey Yeah Hey.
Hey Yeah Hey is out on June 26th and you can prepare yourselves now by pre-savin’ and/or pre-orderin’ here. For more from Other Brother Darryl, including all the info on the record release show scheduled for July 10th at The Burren with Hey I’m Outside (Which you can get advance tickets for here) plus their appearance at Theodore’s BBQ in Springfield on July 16th (Specific infor for that one here), head to the interwebs and the OBD socials here or here.