Brother Bicker Band seeks to recapture the nostalgic sounds of a time gone and delivers with their new escapist album Another Kind of Train: “Picture where you were the first time that you heard that really, really great song… Open your eyes and fast forward five, ten, fifteen or maybe even thirty years (or more)…. the Brother Bicker Band is trying to recapture that memory, that feeling, that love, that loss.” With the fusion of different beautiful vocal harmonies and their nostalgic country songs dipped in hints of blues and funk, this album immerses you in a world almost entirely gone. It’s an ode to Canadian country and the Americana legacy.
The album starts with “Nashville Sound”, and you’re immediately transported in the shoes of a wandering traveler finding the glimpses of a world almost gone, almost feeling lost: “Looking for side streets and a place to dance”. The song contrasts the seemingly incessant rush of modern life to a period where time is slower and there’s more meaning to life. The “Nashville Sound” is narrated with twangy chords and a hint of blues to add to that nostalgic feeling. The song is marked by Nashville’s famous locations, the Bluebird Cafe and Nashville’s iconic Broadway. You feel the traveler’s solace in finding glimpses of the Americana life, “Down to the alley where I get my news, watching the Reverend while he sings the blues”. The song ends on a nostalgic hint, with the traveler reminiscing through the memories of another day, “Listen hard, echo of another day…Back in the hotel there’s a shitty bar American beauty that’s where you are.”
The songs alternate in moods, with funky soulful songs like “No Straight Lines” lifting the mood, being a catchy tune about the ups and downs of finding love. The song starts with a funky guitar chord and a groovy bass chord; the lyrics are carried by the soulful harmony of upbeat vocals. You’re thrown in a hectic journey spanning suspicious doctors to lawyer’s offices all the way to the Promised Land. The song feels like a fantastically funky fever dream reminiscent of Americana classic movies like Oh Brother Where Art Thou? The gambling adventure of chasing love is narrated through beats perfect to dance to on a night out. This is a song that can bring you back to memories or make you stand up and question if you’re dancing enough.
The album turns to a tragic story of redemption and seeking more, with “Another Kind of Train”. The cool and soothing introduction of twangy guitars juxtapose the solitude and regret of our traveler as she is swearing off her past, seeking a train, a way to something better over the horizon, “Don’t wait up, I’m not coming home, this dirty city’s got, a mind of its own, I’m gonna catch another kind of train”. The upbeat nostalgic beats follow the traveler as she struggles to let go of her past, with the song slowing down cooly in the outro as she finally finds her train. The song is pure longing and a message of hope in these hectic times, striking you as you perhaps reminisce of a time past or wonder if it’s your time to catch a new train.
Continuing with the theme of chasing new beginnings, “Storm” is a song about betting your heart on an exciting intrepid love. “Storm” starts with an upbeat rock chord, revealing the fearful joy of gambling your heart, “Makes me feel alive, I just can’t deny you’re the one I want, hey baby I’m a storm chaser.” The chorus is uplifting, giving a soulful feel with a riff introducing a slow short jam as the chorus repeats, binding our loverboy to an adventurously chaotic chase.
This album is ultimately a musical collection of poems dedicated to not forgetting the beauty of the past but also maintaining hope in the face of the callousness of life’s twists and turns.
Sara Michael