The Warren Brothers - Well Deserved Obscurity (CD)

All Music Guide

The Warren Brothers are a band that make you think of those groups that fall out of favor with Nashville but still maintain a loyal following with a warm roots sound. The opening, pianolaced Comeback even states this idea with the line “new music ain't got no soul." The song is a midtempo, Americana tune that could have graced early Uncle Tupelo or Ryan Adams. The brothers also weave a fine singersongwriter tune entitled Between The River And Me which resembles the duo of Kevin Welch and Kieran Kane's approach to memorable tune. The chorus is a bit too rockoriented but the verses and mandolin seem to compensate adequately for the Zeppelinesque bridge. They nail Change much better with a focused roots rocker that pays off with the strong chorus and twangtinted snarl. They settle into a midtempo pop style with Southern Baptist Heartbreak that saunters along without much fanfare. The Warren Brothers aren't afraid to tackle selfesteem issues as well on the slow building but infectiously to...etapping Pretty. It's the type of song Steve Earle might have considered during The Hard Way album. Perhaps the sleeper pick on the 12track album is Sell A Lot Of Beer, a rowdy redneck barroom rocker that something Toby Keith or Montgomery Gentry would be wise to cover. The piano work from Rob Stoney is another plus here also. A softer side of the group comes during Trouble Is, a slow ballad that brings to mind singersongwriters like Mike Plume and Rod Picott. But it appears they can't resist a vintagesounding Southern rocker like Quarter To Three that opens up after the initial verse a la Georgia Satellites. A few songs on the homestretch are uplifting such as Runnin Out Of Hereos and the simple, downhome, acoustic touches of Liquid Confidence that Tim McGraw could easily perform. - Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide Read more Less