Choice Cuts: December 2001 - Page 4
© Adam McKibbin
For More Info: Visit Ashley’s label’s site at http://www.lefthandedlabel.com
Artist: The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love
Album: H.O.M.E.S.
The Scoop: From Michigan and damned proud of it, TOBASOL pulls off an album that is quaint and colloquial without becoming cloying. H.O.M.E.S. (itself an acronym for the five Great Lakes) is heavy on the regional charm—there’s even a song about Tiger Stadium—and their harmonizing is a bit reminiscent of the Beach Boys, had the Beach Boys been given a bohemian upbringing in the Upper Peninsula. Heck, there’s even brothers in this band, too (Tim and Jamie Monger, who assume most but not all of the songwriting and fronting duties).Highlight Track: Indeed, one of the most engaging aspects of TOBASOL is that they do feature three songwriters/lead singers. Greg McIntosh takes the reins for “Winter Coat Romancing,” an eclectic, accordion-enhanced toe-tapper that moves effortlessly between tender ballad and agitated barnburner.
Honorable Mention: The fragile fingerpicking in the title track sounds like it could have been lifted from the Simon & Garfunkel catalog. With TOBASOL stripped down to just the Brothers Monger, “H.O.M.E.S.” shifts down a few gears; a quick, wistful and somewhat mournful snapshot of a summer’s end.For More Info: Visit http://www.thetelegraphcompany.com
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