Banjo, guitar, harmonica – check, check, check. The Crooked Brothers released an excited little EP that shows promise of much more to come. Bring your dancing shoes to this party because the Crooked Brothers will get your toes tapping.
Actually, the first track “There Ain’t No One” is a real dance tune, but the second track is much more raw. The key lyric “I think I need to be alone” is all too relatable to many listeners. It’s melancholic and enjoyable in exactly the right way. “I miss the way you look when you’re laughin’…” It is the kind of song that heartbroken people sing.
The final track “If I had known” splits the difference. There are some fantastic bluesy riffs in the guitar line and a head-bobbin’ beat, but the lyrics aren’t exactly happy. Having the best harmonies on the short EP, I hope to hear more like this one in future iterations from the Crooked Brothers. There’s an authentic flavor of living life on this jam. “If I had known what leavin’ would do I had never have fallen in love with you.” Well there we have it. That, friends, is a country music line! Wow.
Start to finish it’s the kind of album that whets the appetite for more. Sometimes when we go through volumes and volumes of music it’s hard to say what makes that “it” factor, but these folks have it. Real lyrics, raw emotions, and the kind of tunes that keep us coming back for more.
