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JEFF the Brotherhood - Sixpack
Published:
Jul 18, 2012
Total plays:
5,649
Saved:
40 times
Why do we like this?
When listening to JEFF the Brotherhood's brand-new, Dan Auerbach-produced release, Hypnotic Nights, all I could think was, "Man, this is what summer is supposed to be. Loud, and brazen, and filled with rock 'n' roll and NSFW debaucherous river-rafting trips.

Then I realized that I'd felt this way before, last summer, to be exact. Because I was just about as obsessed with JEFF the Brotherhood's 2011 release, We Are The Champions as I am with this current effort, and for many of the same reasons. The volume. The testosterone. The celebration of beer, pot, and good times. These qualities may not belong to the subtle, introspective genre of music, but that doesn't make them any less important, or satisfying.

Of course, the similarity of my reaction doesn't make Hypnotic Nights a redundant effort, at all. Songs start strong -- visceral lyrics and crashing instruments -- but are allowed to swell and burst in moments of unexpected instrumental directions. "Hypnotic Mind" fades into a lovely, Ravi Shankar-esque guitar spiral (not to mention the sitar-laden "Region of Fire," which sounds straight out of a 1960s bordello), while "Wood Ox" features a slightly dischordant, mid-song explosion, bookended by raw, crash-happy mid-90s sounding punk rock.

I'll maintain my previous statement that this band is best when it cranks it up hard, but that doesn't mean their slower tracks aren't good. This band of brothers (Jake and Jamin Orall, by way of Nashville) know how to put together a catchy rock 'n' roll song, and deliver it in a way that makes it stick. The album's opener "Country Life" will have you just about ready to drink the Kool-Aid, while the lead single "Sixpack" (of the aforementioned river trip) will have you a bonified cult leader. At the very least, there's no denying that these are the dudes you want to party with this summer.

So, on behalf of the real rock lovers of 2012, thanks for another great one, JEFF the Brotherhood. Can't wait for summer 2013.

Stream the full album over on NPR.
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