Published on May 14, 2021
The Brummies is originally from Birmingham, Alabama, but now call Nashville home. Here, the trio returns with a sophomore that expands on their multi-genre formula which would sound right at home in any decade since the '60s.
“Cherry Blossom” starts the listen with warm atmosphere as gentle drumming and soulful singing enters and the tune builds into a melodic and textured pop-rock gem. The aptly titled “Sunshine” follows with a laidback and groove-friendly climate that unfolds with much funky charm. The first single, “Call Me,” follows with a dreamy presence of soft rock nods that benefits from well time keys and hypnotic drumming.
Approaching the middle of the listen, “Who Should I Be” jangles with a subdued, heartfelt delivery, while “Love Language” bounces with playful bass work in a stylish and psychedelic flavored display of diverse skill. “That Night,” one of the best tracks present, then emits a romantic quality, where emotive singing and gentle instrumentation bring us back to the '70s.
Deeper still, the '80s sensibilities of “After Midnight” are well suited for the dance floor or maybe even the local roller rink with its infectious energy, and “Tomorrow” trims the pace back with a love song of sublime beauty and stirring harmonies. The record exits on the longest tune, “Island,” where eight minutes of vocal harmonies and agile acoustic guitar enter folk territory before a lengthy pause and a dense mystery track arrives and lands closer to classic rock territory.
Automatic World is a much more produced effort than their debut and one that welcomes plenty of synthesizers. Jacob Bryant, Trevor Davis and John Davidson, i.e. The Brummies, make great use of rock riffs, electronic exploration, and timeless soul moments on this very well crafted second album. It will be exciting to see what future work offers from an outfit very concerned about not repeating the same process and sounds twice.