Album Review: O’Brother - Garden Window
Posted on Under The Gun Review in November 2011.
On O’Brother’s last effort, 2009′s The Death of Day EP, the Atlanta, Georgia group produced a mix of layered alt-rock and post-rock, which resulted in a collection well-crafted, emotionally charged songs and on the whole, showed a lot of promise.
Two years on, the bands debut full-length, Garden Window sees the quintet growing and taking a huge step forward, as they take you on an intriguing, hour-long musical journey that goes back and forth from experimental to indie rock to softer, (slightly) ambient moments.
One of the first things you’ll notice on Garden Window is how much darker, intense O’Brother sound. From the opening fuzzy guitar chords of “Malum;” you’re welcomed with a thick, edgier sound that on first listen is discomforting yet compelling. Nevertheless “Malum” gives way to “Lo;” a vibrant, energetic number that takes the fuzzy guitar tone of the opener and combines it with a thriving energetic tempo and suitable melody, which gives it a (slightly) much needed sense of calm.
