After a decade of releasing albums through their own Infinity Cat label, brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, better known as
JEFF the Brotherhood, make the jump to Warner Bros on their seventh album,
Hypnotic Nights. The album finds that magical middle ground between sugary pop and heavy rock that
Weezer once dominated in the days of the
Blue Album. The brothers Orrall have tightened up their sound into something thicker and more cohesive while stepping further away from the looser, more psychedelic sound of Heavy Days, and in the process have stumbled into a sound that beautifully captures the aimless days of summertime. But really, that's to be expected from an album that opens with the line, "I want a place where I can smoke meats, where I can drink and swim in the creek." That feeling carries on into "Sixpack," which will immediately speak to anyone who has ever been to a way-too-packed, small-town house party. Also of note,
the Brotherhood get some help production-wise from the
Black Keys'
Dan Auerbach, who seems willing to let the brothers find their own sound as he smoothes out the rough edges. For fans of the band, seeing a big name like
Auerbach's and the Warner Bros. logo on the back of the liner notes could be a frightening prospect, especially given the long independent streak the band has maintained up until this point. Fortunately,
Hypnotic Nights still delivers all of the brilliant power pop worship that we've come to love from
JEFF the Brotherhood, and if the album isn't able to kick off your summer, nothing will. ~ Gregory Heaney