Brokaw - Interiors

 


Brokaw is the newest rock-based project for legendary bassist G. Stuart Dahlquist (Burning Witch, Sunn O))), Goatsnake, Asva) and 3 of his long time Seattle based collaborators; Rick Troy, Rich Medic, and Mike Henderson.

Brokaw mostly take their sound from 90's record labels such as  Amphetamine Reptile and Alternative Tentacles.  There's a little bit of noise rock, nomeansno style dominating bass, Morphine style phrasing coupled with vocals, somewhere between the deep voice Mark Sandman and  the funky stylings of newer Clutch.  Close your eyes, block your ears and imagine The Cows meeting Helmet with a funky bass running through the middle and you've more or less nailed "Berlin Heart".  If there's such a thing as stoner funk then "No Morphine Doctor"  nails that particular sub-genre.   "Politicians By The Pool" is a cool and catchy song but a little too close to recent Clutch.  There's an interlude in "Terms of War" that simultaneously causes thought of nomeansno and jazz musicians like Miles Davis but the song comes to a heavy sludgy conclusion.  There's Fugazi style starting and stopping "Time Ain't Now" with far clearer vocals.  The funky hard catchy noise rock ends with the upbeat telling off of "You Didn't Invent Sex".

It'll be interesting to see where other reviewers pigeon hole Brokaw since they defy being put in a certain sector of rock unless it's the broader alternative label.  There's just way too much going in the band's music to just fit them under the stoner rock tag due to one member's past.  In a time where many people say that record labels deserve to die,  Good To Die Records  prove that there are still those out there finding great music and releasing it.  This album isn't due out until January 24th 2012 but you can hear a few songs on the band's bandcamp page.

4.5/5