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Homesick CBG by Scott Snidow |
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As a debut release, Homesick is rare indeed. There are no rough tracks, where the musicians seem to be stumbling. On the other hand, the album doesn't sound overly polished either, as though some engineering wizard has diligently worked his magic to hide the defects. It has a clean and driven sound that flows naturally from track to track, and makes up a package that is in many ways better than the ones most veteran performers are releasing today. The strength and professionalism of this package and its lack of a contrived feel can be credited to many sources. Certainly Brown's ability as a songwriter must be mentioned. For Homesick he has presented the listener with nine fascinating compositions that are only exceeded in ability by the band that is performing them. This band consists of Brown on vocals and guitar, Aaron Maxwell on lead guitar, Justin Varnes on drums, Anthony Perez on bass and Oscar Perez on keyboards. This is a very dynamic group of musicians who produce some equally impressive performances on this album. These elements, combined with the band's decision to produce the album themselves with the guidance of Jeff Juliano (Dave Matthews Band, Agents of Good Roots), all lend to the overall depth of Homesick. It is hard to characterize the music of CBG into one comfortable niche. Many would probably opt for the "alternative" label, though in its current meaning this label would be misleading. They have obviously drawn from many sources in creating their music, sources as diverse as jazz, soul, rock, country and folk. The first two tracks on this album, "The Distance" and "Please," feature a very soulful sounding bass part driving the tune and accenting Brown's capable vocal stylings. Other tracks, such as "Quick Fix," are almost pure jazz in content. Incidentally, the guitar and keyboard parts on this track are exemplary, and these interwoven with Brown's vocals make the almost six minutes of this track well worth the purchase price of this album. The melodic ballad "Dangerous" has an almost country rock feel to it. In short, CBG has taken a cross section of the American music scene and blended into one package that is unequaled by most of the current pop offerings. In a day and age when the label "alternative" is used to describe music that is anything but alternative, it is refreshing indeed to see a group willing to break the mold and set a new standard. Taking what Brown calls a "down-home" approach to rock and roll, the music of CBG is a well crafted fusion of jazz, rock and soul, played with purpose and conviction by a band of extremely talented musicians. And that is what permeates on each track of Homesick. It is unlikely that
you will hear the music of CBG on a local radio station, however,
you can surf on over to www.cobybrowngroup.com and listen
to several songs in an MP3 format. Three of the tracks are directly
off the Homesick LP, while the others are live versions
of CBG songs. The band currently has no plans to tour the Texas
market, but maybe with enough show of support from our neck of
the woods, one day that will change. |
When a band displays
a certain level of musical competency with their first release,
it is only natural for reviewers to draw comparisons to other,
better known artists. Such is the case with the Coby Brown Group.
The first release of this New York based quintet has drawn the
inevitable comparisons to the likes of The Dave Matthews Band,
Ben Folds Five, and Blues Traveler. There is one glaring difference,
however. The music contained on this disk is honest. There has
been no tampering or hampering by the music machine on this production.
It is pure and unadulterated. It is real. |
You can contact Scott Snidow at: scott-at-rockzilla.net |
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