Brother Spellbinder - We Were Children Yesterday
BROTHER SPELLBINDER RELEASE ‘WE WERE CHILDREN YESTERDAY’
San Francisco chamber-folk noir outfit Brother Spellbinder released a new EP, entitled We Were Children Yesterday, not long ago.
Brother Spellbinder
Made up of Alzara Getz (vocals, ukulele), Jamie Wilson (guitar, vocals), Steve La Port (drums, percussion), Sean Griffin (guitar), Helena Tietze (cello, vocals), Gabriel Beistline (cello), Zoe Atlas (violin, vocals), and Steve Bollhoeffer (violin), Brother Spellbinder is the brainchild of Alzara Getz, the daughter of drummer Dave Getz. After years of playing with local Bay Area bands, Getz was inspired to form her own band. Hooking up with guitarist Jamie Wilson, Getz brought Brother Spellbinder to life.
The band’s sound blends indie-folk with elements of swing, Americana, classical, rock, and world music into captivating songs with the goal of enchanting “in the age of disenchantment.”
Encompassing seven-tracks, the EP features the musical guest talents of: Dale Carlson (pennywhistle), Carme Caruso (organ, backing vocals), Josh Beemish (banjo, backing vocals), Jared Swanson (backing vocals), and Pete Kronowitt.
Starting off with “Birds of a Feather,” which opens on bright handclaps, followed by the entry of delicate guitars, the tune flows into a classical-flavored folk tune riding an optimistic rhythm. Getz’s rich high voice infuses the music with deliciously nuanced inflections, distinctive and easy to listen to. Gorgeous strings give the harmonics a sumptuously undulating movement.
Getz’s rich high voice infuses the music with deliciously nuanced inflections, distinctive and easy to listen to.
Highlights on the EP include “Mandalay,” featuring a shimmering melody, rising and falling on trembling colors, as Getz’s wonderfully melodic voice glides dreamily above. “Aching Eyes” opens on melancholic flavors segueing into a melody exuding sensuous Latin flavors, creamy and sinuous. A wicked guitar adds tasty remorseful colors accompanied by the dark eloquence of a cello and violins.
“Red River Valley” travels on oozing swampy hues riding a supple snaking rhythm topped by heartbreaking colors. A gently gleaming breakdown shifts the tune to an upbeat country-flavored melody full of tantalizing vocal textures.
“20 Years Ago” features a measured rhythm topped by gloriously sad choir-like harmonies filling the backdrop, as Getz’s beautiful tones float on velvet-laced textures. The melding of country twang suffusions with Celtic savors yields grand layers of sound pregnant with mysterious nostalgic symbolism.
“Once upon a time I had a name / The highway was open / I knew where I was going / Lost along the way and that's a shame / Lovers come and go and still I roam / Tender words were spoken / That left my heart broken / Fold me in your arms and take me home.”
With We Were Children Yesterday, Brother Spellbinder delivers haunting music, full of imminence, smoldering allure, and refreshing originality.
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