Be Brave

About

This lovably ragged Texas combo staggers through these tracks like pub crawlers teetering on the edge of blackout. At first blush, <i>Be Brave</i> comes across as yet another excursion into ‘60s garage-rock revivalism. Several numbers — especially the bluesy title tune and the twanging, tempo-shifting “Night Might” — suggest early Stones or Them. But more often, the album leans towards twisted versions of honky-tonk country (“Between Us,” “You Can’t Only Love When You Want To”) and acoustic folk (“Dare I Say,” “Da Da”), keeping the focus on Ryan Sambol’s strangled warbling. “A Walk On the Beach” and “Friday In Paris” manage to goose up the energy level a notch. Beneath the messy surfaces of these tunes is a stubborn integrity, with nothing slick added to ruin the music’s creaky appeal. Though Sambol’s lyrics are often lost in his slurred delivery, a punch-drunk romanticism emerges in songs like “Laugh At Sex, Not Her” and “All You Can Hide Inside.” In its own shambolic fashion, <i>Be Brave</i> is an inspired effort, loaded with slack-jawed charm.

via Apple Music