HOLMES BROTHERS

Brotherhood

Alligator Records

By Mark Baier

The Holmes Brothers are throwing a party and everyone is invited!  Brotherhood, their latest and fifth Alligator release, is a spirited, festive experience, filled with enough deep rhythms and upbeat melodies to liven up even the moldiest fig. Following up on 2010’s popular Feed My Soul is no easy feat, but the Brothers Holmes (Wendell and Sherman along with 3rd “brother” Popsy Dixon) have done just that, bringing penetrating grooves and an upbeat, positively infectious melodic sensibility that defies sedentary listening.

The opening track is “Stayed at the Party,” a buoyant tale of overindulgence that will leave the listener tapping their toes and wishing they had broken curfew as well!! For all of “Stayed at the Party‘s”  joy and frivolity, the following track, Ted Hawkins’ classic “I Gave Up All I Had,” is contrastingly introspective and earnest, with its three-part harmonies and timeless message. The success of the Holmes Brothers is in no small way a function of their ability to tell a compelling story with their music, and Brotherhood is testament to that. While the groove and the backbeat lures you in, it’s the Brothers’ ability to connect personally that distinguishes them as subtle practitioners of the craft. Their songs have gravitas and they’re fun to hear to boot!

In addition to vocals, Sherman handles the bass duties while Wendell contributes guitar with Popsy holding down the drums. (how old are they?? amazing!) Co-producer Glenn Patscha provides keyboards and Chris Bruce adds guitar to the mix. Also of note is Wendell’s daughter Felicia harmonizing with her father on the original composition “Loving you From Afar,” and blues/jazz diva Catherine Russell assisting vocally on four of the 14 tracks. 

Brotherhood contains eight originals and six covers, including Ike Turner’s “You’ve Got To Lose,” a beguiling groove that will percolate the soul, accented by a silky sax courtesy of John Ellis.  “Lickety Split” is next up, and it’s a standout, with Wendell’s vocal punctuated by infectious keyboard parts and inventive guitar figures. Wendell’s distinctive vocal style is particularly compelling and features prominently on Brotherhood. He is a natural vocal stylist, his personality and vivacity evident on every track he fronts. “Gone For Good,”  “Loving You From Afar” (with daughter Felicia) and “Darkest Hour” all bristle with charisma and liveliness.

As the band leans into “Darkest Hour,” and the nasty, gritty guitar sounds steal the moment, the party is in full swing. A slow blues goes very well with Wendell’s wonderfully idiosyncratic vocal style, and by the way, everyone’s swaying with the beat. Sherman’s “The Last Man Standing” knows the party can’t end just yet, and an upbeat dance number that leaves everybody bouncing and bopping across the room is just what’s needed when last call is imminent. Party goers familiar with the Holmes Brothers’ brand of revelry know what’s next, and “Amazing Grace,” is the perfect coda to a night well spent with friends. Long a signature of their live performances, its capture here is epic, with the three part harmonies crashing the Pearly Gates, Amen!

In spite of the fact that the selections on Brotherhood are tinged with the grace of Gospel that routinely define the Holmes Brothers, it’s clear that this is a Saturday night blues party, not a Sunday morning prayer meeting. Brotherhood is a recipe for a blues celebration: take a roomful of friends, add a dance floor (it better be big enough) and let the Brotherhood party begin! Better yet, let the Holmes Brothers bring the party to you! Their touring schedule is a bit incomplete as yet, but it’s definitely a bash worth chasing down.

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