(MPG) Indie folk duo The Brother Brothers released their new album The January Album. Produced by Bridget Kearney of Lake Street Dive, The January Album was written in early 2021 and captures the intimate world around them while delicately illustrating the deep well of human experience that was forced into sharp focus at the time. The brothers describe it as "an ode to the time we had time to take time."
"This is our most collaborative effort to date," stated the brothers. "The fact that we wrote so many of these songs together, and intentionally arranged them together, makes us feel like we've finally arrived at our 'sound!'"
Comprised of identical twins Adam Moss (violin, vocals) and David Moss (guitar, vocals), The January Album is the duo's fourth studio album and follow-up to 2021's Calla Lily. Aptly named for its month-long recording in January 2021, they stated, "Almost all of the songs were written in NYC during those first few months of the Covid lockdown and tumultuous police protests in the city. It was important to capture the zeitgeist but also just as important not to dwell on it in the music." And dwell they do not. It's an album that captures the intimate world around them while delicately illustrating the deep well of human experience that the pandemic forced into sharp relief.
This new reality and the eventual departure from their homes in Brooklyn led them to their newest recording venture at Montrose Studios in Richmond, VA. With producer and bass player Kearney, drummer John Fatum (Sarah Jarosz, Jacksonport, Bella White) and the engineering magic of Phil Weinrobe (Damian Rice, Feist, Big Thief), eight people confined themselves in a farmhouse next to the studio and rejoiced in community while recording.
The brothers began teasing new music at the top of the year with the lead single "The Illinois River Song," a track that showcases a new sonic direction for the brothers about their home state of Illinois, a midwest river town. It was followed by the official video for "Lonesome," the album opener that explores what they call "the conceptual passage of time through the varied lenses we have as humans," and "Brown Dog," a playful song that muses on social media and our dependence on phones and devices to pass the time.
The January Album as a whole is a wonderful distillation of the American spirit in its modern form. The Brother Brothers have a unique outlook on the world. They have seemingly visited every nook and cranny of the US, and they have taken those experiences to heart. Each song is a lesson, an experience, and a look at ourselves, our past, and our future.
Track Listing:
01) Lonesome
02) Brown Dog
03) The Illinois River Song
04) Supermoon
05) Ranch Road 12
06) Comes and Goes
07) Most of All
08) Cedar Branch
09) Be My Bartender
10) Dear John
11) Friend in Hand
12) Morgantown
Tour Dates:
04/20 - Norman, OK @ The Depot
04/21 - Hesston, KS @ Prairie Window Concert Series at Deck Arboretum
04/23 - Lawrence, KS @ Lied Center of Kansas
05/29 - Boulder, CO @ eTown Hall (w/ Sarah Jarosz)
08/29 - Ermelo, NL @ In De Rimboe
08/31 - Maastricht, NL @ Bruis
09/03 - Hove, UK @ The Brunswick
09/04 - Huddersfield, UK @ Parish
09/05 - Bliston, UK @ The Robin
09/06 - Liverpool, UK @ Outpost
09/07 - Filey, UK @ Filey Americana
09/08 - Glasgow, UK @ The Hug & Pint
09/09 - London, UK @ The Slaughtered Lamb
09/12 - Hamburg, DE @ Nochtwache
09/13 - Odense, DK @ Nashville Nights
09/14 - Gothenburg, SWE @ Heartland Country Club
09/15 - Stockholm, SWE @ Bar Brooklyn
09/16 - Kristanstad, SWE @ Kulturkvarteret