Mike O’Reilly (guitar/vocals), Sean O’Reilly (bass/vocals), Alec (drums) and Jon Wagstaff (guitar) are The Brothers Union. The band released Silhouettes which seems to be just the brothers.
There are two songs on this EP both of which revolve around vocals and guitar. The music plays into a very straight foward singer/songwriter vibe we have heard in the pop arena that is intimate and plays into sweet nostalgia and reflection. The first song “Bluebird” has this pop sensibility to it that just screams commercial viability. It’s an unapologetic love song which reinforces romanticism and doesn't explore any gray areas. It’s Elizabethan Shakespeare for the contemporary bird. The music is soft, gentle and tender and the lyrics play out like a script in a movie. The vocalist sings “Falling in love it was you were you, I was me / It started to work, we took a chance we were free / Crossing our paths was like fairytale destiny / I'll never give up, those nights were meant to be.” The song ends with a proclamation that these two doves complete each other in such a way that if one would vanish into thin air life would barely be worth living. The vocalist sings, “I hope you're with me when we grow old / I need you more than any living soul / If not for you I'd be decomposed /Just lost and practically nothing.” The next song “Another Remedy” is very much an acoustic pop punk. Pop punk has always felt like a genre for a younger generation from the coming on age type themes to the delivery and that applies here as well. The song is a little more ambiguous than the opener when it comes to the lyrics with a little more play on words. There isn’t all that much going on the musical side besides a couple of strummed major and minor chords and a lead guitar but the simplicity works here. Silhouettes is hitting on such a distinct type of a sound that has been ubiquitous for years and years with these two songs. It’s such an overcrowded arena that you have to somehow find something that will separate your sound. The band probably doesn't want to hear this but they should and in the long run it will make them better. The issue isn’t that they are doing anything wrong or don’t have skill but they are playing into everything you expect from this genre. In 2019 you have to be bringing something new to the table if you are hoping to stand out just based on the numbers alone. I haven’t heard them as a full band and perhaps their approach is different with that dynamic. Silhouettes might be their first attempt at acoustic based music and while there is no doubt talent here, there is also a sense of familiarity. I look forward to hearing more from the band.
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