Tired of waiting for the next Animal Collective release? Here's something that's almost exactly the same. That's right, kids. Tooth & Claw is an hour of random acoustic strumming, field recordings, white noise, analogue feedback, a few obscure samples (I'm pretty sure I heard Chun-Li from Street Fighter II), and a lot of weirdo chanting. Our Bro is being released by AC's label, FatCat, who discovered the impressionable trio through MySpace, so I guess the likeness isn't morally objectionable. Damn, are they impressionable, though. OBTN centres around Michigan residents John-Michael Foss and Joshua Bertran, who are 16 and 18 respectively, while their later added California drummer, Chaz Knapp, is also 16... and also found through MySpace (Gawd bless the internet, eh?). I couldn't find my ass with both hands when I was 16 — or 18, truth be told — so I suppose some patience is warranted. They need to find their own voice, but they've got more than enough time to do it. Granted, the lyrics are probably best left indecipherable, but they can create some wondrous, if repetitive, atmospheres out of their chaos of influences. As they age, their vision should clarify and their music will gain a deeper meaning. The piano-led peak of "Welcome To The Arborary" demonstrates that promise, but the lyrics to "Tilia Petiolaris" definitely show their immaturity. Regardless, I'm sure this is the beginning of a long relationship between Our Brother The Native and FatCat.
1. Introduction - Welcome To The Aviary
2. Apodiformes
3. Falcomiformes
4. Strigiformes
5. Welcome To The Aborary
6. Catalpa
7. Tilia Petiolaris
8. Quercusfalcata
9. Nautical Spirits, Welcome To The Aquarium
10. Octopodidae
11. Sepiidae
12. Nautilidae
More about: Our Brother The Native
