Review Summary: A side project that exceeds expectations.
Elder Brother is an indie group made up of singer Dan Rose known for his work in Daybreaker and Kevin Geyer known for his work in the immensely popular and talented pop-punk outfit The Story So Far. With Elder Brother, both men are on top of their games with 11 fantastic, chilled out tunes.
The album starts off with ‘’Pennsylvania’’ a great opening track that hits all the right notes and starts the album out perfectly in demonstrating to the listener on where the rest of the album is going to take us. ‘’We’re alive and so much isn't’’ the first line sung by Dan Rose illustrates a great lyrical pattern which continues throughout the album. ‘’Throw Me To The Wolves’’ is the 2nd song and you would find it hard to argue the best song on the album. The song starts off with a fantastic, groovy bass tone that is so well played and utilized within the song. The bass tone also combines perfectly for Dan Rose’s elegant vocals. ‘’Webs’’ is the 3rd song and is a short, but sweet song that slows down the momentum of the album a little bit, but the guitar playing really catches the ear.
Kevin Geyer is a fantastic guitarist, we knew this from his work in TSSF, but here he is really able to showcase his skills. When maybe sometimes, his work is overshadowed by Parker’s immense vocals in TSSF, Dan’s voice combines perfectly with Kevin’s guitar which in turn creates a unique feel for each song. ‘’Any Sort of Plan’’ is a song designed for Rose’s vocals to sour and dominate. The guitar is soft and Dan’s voice is at its best. ‘’Lightning Bug’’ is an entirely different song and combines another cool bass line with some melody guitar work from Kevin. ‘’A Slow Comfortable Deep Breath’’ is one of the baffling parts of the album. An interlude that doesn’t really make the listener feel anything. It’s got a strange aura and feel to it. One of the few parts of the album that doesn't impress.
The title track ‘’Heavy Head’’ sees the 2 get back to what they’re best at. Creating an atmosphere in a song with soft guitar playing and Dan’s vocals dominating. A great song that showcases what Elder Brother should do more often. ‘’Who’s Gonna Carry You Home’’ is the best acoustic song on the album. A fantastic acoustic riff combined with Dan’s voice which is subdued for the most part and he utilizes good moments to raise his voice for an effect. He sings of love and potential loss. ‘’If l walk away, who’s gonna carry you home?’’ ‘’Really Free’’ is a great song to pick the tempo back up as we approach the back end of the album.
‘’In My Bones’’ is the highlight of the album along with Wolves. ‘’I never wanted it all, l just wanted to pretend, that l was awake, and you were listening’’ Dan sings once again of love and of someone who may not have reciprocated love for him. The highlight of the whole album is on this song and also the heaviest part. Dan raises his voice to almost screaming. He wants someone to listen to him that hasn't been. The guitar solo combined with the heavy cymbal hitting on the drums creates a heavier aspect to the sound that the rest of the album hadn't really showcased. The album ends on ‘’Sunday Morning’’, an acoustic song that is by no means bad, but doesn't really come close to other songs earlier on. Dan can go a bit higher with his voice which creates some uniqueness, but is a passable end to an excellent record.
While most side projects are just a bit of fun for most, Dan and Kevin have put in lots of effort and time to make this record as good as possible, and for the most part that succeeded. Every instrument is played with confidence and intent. Kevin’s performance on guitar and bass is worthy of much praise. Dan also deserves a lot of praise as his work on Elder Brother is arguably better than his other work on Daybreaker. A record that is worth your time. You will not be disappointed.
