Jeff the Brotherhood, where Skynyrd meets Ozma.
If you’re just now becoming a fan of JEFF the Brotherhood you carry a scarlet letter marking how uncool you are. After 6 albums the Nashville band is just now finding national awareness on the heels of their latest Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) produced album Hypnotic Nights.
There seem to be two camps of haters out there right now. One is the music snobs that can’t seem to enjoy catchy, loud, good time Rock n Roll. The other is Jeff the Brotherhood fans that loved the bands lofi grungy garage sound before they decided to sign to a major label and find some mainstream success. Don’t worry, you’ll probably never have to deal with either of these types of people in real life, other than your one token music nerd friend.
Jeff the Brotherhood can’t seem to escape Weezer comparisons, even called Weezer worship in some reviews. A Weezer comparison in 1996 might have been a compliment, but a Weezer comparison in 2012 is a slap in the face. Hypnotic Nights might sound like a handful of Blue Album b-sides, wearing Ozma hooky keyboard influences on their sleeve, but a respectable band doesn’t deserve the disparaging comparison to a band that shamelessly released Raditude, Hurley, and the Red album. I rather be bit on the balls by a rattlesnake than be compared to that garbage.The Weezer that Jeff the Brotherhood sounds like left with Matt Sharp.
Hypnotic Nights is an album built on nostalgia. Tunes so simple and self-explanatory like the single “Sixpack” that could have been the single of your high school garage band. The gruffy Southern album could be the soundtrack to Dazed and Confused. The same chunky, catchy, psychedelic shit the oldman Matthew McConaughey would be blasting as he blazed a joint and lounged back on the hood of his 1970 Chevelle SS with a rising sophomore. Hypnotic Nights is consistent in its churning of muddled power chords, oohs and ahhs, synth hooks and steady beats in 4/4 time. If Hypnotic Nights wants the classic Weezer comparison from me I’m going to need to hear some 6/8 time, finger-picking acoustic, high-pitched harmonies, and some top-notch guitar solos.
