Published on May 22, 2001
How do you know when an album confuses you? Simple: when you
spend the better part of the day listening to a 38-minute album
like
Homesick from Coby Brown Group, trying to filter out all the
branches of the musical lineage. Boy, do I need a hobby.
If this four-piece group based out of New York City reminds me
of anyone right off the bat, it would have to be Dave Matthews Band
being fronted by John Popper of Blues Traveler, simply because of
the vocal patterns of Brown, his acoustic guitar work, and the
simple yet complex style of the music the group plays.
Does it always work? Sadly, no… but in the group’s defense, it
works more often than it fails.
Where Brown and his bandmates – keyboardist Oscar Perez, bassist
Anthony Perez and drummer Justin Varnes – hit paydirt is on the
songs with a deeper meaning than might be evident on a cursory
listen. Tracks such as “I’m Not Leaving” (which I read to be the
tale of a soldier who chooses not to fight his battles – internal
and external – any longer), “Dangerous” (with a devilishly clever,
hook-laden groove) and “King Of Halloween” slap the listener across
the face and challenge them to wake up and listen to the meaning,
not just the words and the music.
Even on some of the songs which don’t quite have that level of
snap, such as “Please” and “The Distance,” Brown and company prove
that they have something to say, and that they should be taken
seriously on
Homesick.
The only area where this strategy fails them is when the band
tries to lean back and catch a groove wave. “My Baby” and “Quick
Fix” sometimes feel like they’re being stretched out into longer
jams just so the band can prove they’re able to do this. The
technical know-how is there on these, but the spirit of the moment
isn’t – and that’s an essential part of making a longer cut work.
Likewise, “Goodnight” sounds like it could have been lifted from
the Dave Matthews fake book, and doesn’t have nearly enough of
Brown’s personality to take it to the next level.
Is
Homesick a bad CD? Of course not; there’s ample material
here to suggest that this is a group to keep a close eye on. But
Coby Brown Group is still very young, and still has to develop
their own style and atmosphere without relying too heavily on the
work of bands who preceeded them. Chances are, the next time we
hear from them, this band will be ready to challenge all comers…
and I’ll be happy to give them another spin. Until then, think of
Homesick as a work in development.
For more information or to purchase this CD, please
visit the artist’s
Web Site.