The Harmed Brothers
Album: Come Morning
Label: Lackpro
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.theharmedbrothers.com

The Harmed Brothers is a slightly misleadingly-named four-piece; though two brothers do feature in the lineup (Zach and Ben Kilmer, who comprise the band's rhythm section), it was actually formed in small-town Oregon by guitarist Ray Vietti and banjoist/guitarist Alex Salcido, who share lead vocals and write the songs. Ray and Alex had already released an album back in 2010 (All The Lies You Want To Hear), and have built on the success of that record with a period of relentless touring with Zach and Ben and now the release of Come Morning, a collection of ten new songs that embody their honest, infectious, no-frills and slightly rocky approach to Appalachian-flavoured indie-Americana.

If only the material were just a touch more memorable and the instrumentation occasionally a touch more varied, they'd be onto a winner I suspect, but on this showing I get the feeling that it's their live performances that give them an edge rather than repeated exposure on CD in the harsh light of home-listening (tho' the disc sounds good on the car stereo), although their rough-hewn momentum is certainly an attractive, endearing trait, and the singing is pretty strong too (especially that of Ray). Arguably the most distinctive of the songs on display here are those that tell a story through their emotional state, like State Of Kansas, We Might Not Have To Die and Quick, Quick. The reflective, and uncredited, piano-backed bonus cut is also worthy of note but is out of keeping with the rest of the material. So - not entirely convincing perhaps, but there's enough potential there to keep The Harmed Brothers under the radar till their next release.

David Kidman