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Is there anything more interesting to consider than what an artist’s potential is? After all, with so much music being made these days the easiest way to break it down is to seek out those who appear to have bright futures. This way, with each effort they release there is at least some hope for improvement and new ideas, and not just the same music with different lyrics. Of course, along with this approach comes the inevitable disappointment in finding out that you latched onto an act that peaked with whatever attracted you to them to begin with. Then there are bands like Brazos, who shine with so much potential on a single release that you can’t decide if future outputs will be disasters or pure brilliance. This is where A City Just As Tall comes into play.
If you’ve ever seen Brazos live, you immediately recognize the band’s potential. Bound to a tight and explosive indie rock that pops and crunches behind Crane’s emotive lyrics and vocals, Brazos as a band, which also features Paul Price (The Early Tapes), Nathan Stein (Tacks, the Boy Disaster; The Early Tapes), and a lineup of drummers that have included Josh Block (White Denim), is captivating and verges on brilliance. And even given the two EPs that the band has under it’s belt – this summer’s gloriously lo-fi ramble of Feeding Frenzy and now their Autobus debut, A City Just As Tall - there remains a distinct difference between the band’s live shows and their recorded output. With the latest EP, the discrepancy is largely because Crane recorded and played the entire album himself, and while the result is excellent, it seems to only tangentially reflect the experience of the full band, and further frustrates getting an accurate grip on what Brazos’ is and will be. This is not at all a bad thing - unless you’re a reviewer.
Even if A City Just As Tall is more of a solo product, its magnificent orchestration and detailed production are a credit to Crane’s talent. Before you can even get through the first of its five songs, the disc has you eager to see where Crane is going to take you next. “Mary Jo” is soft in its presentation, as it pulls wrenchingly with lines likes: “Mary Jo/ I’m so alone/ Yeah/ I never wanna feel this way again.” Understated in delivery, even dropping to a soft whisper as the guitars ring in, Crane’s songwriting constantly displays a raw, personal intimacy that makes it all the more effective, thoughts that seem more directed to himself than a lover.
“Comatose” is the first track that will have you wanting to anoint Crane as Austin’s version of Tim Kasher, whose work with the Good Life and Cursive carries a similar solipsistic disclosure, as he quivers lines like “sometimes a heart is barely breathing.” This initial feeling won’t actually become certain though until you reach “Mrs. Virginia,” where he not only sounds like the Omaha star, but the sarcastically whimsical nature of the arrangement and the lyrics are startlingly similar. For example, “Oh Mrs. Virginia/ Your daughter is quite a girl/ I spent some time with her/ And she spent time with me/ We want to practice like we are suppose to do/ But only if you approve.” With a touch of blue-eyed soul, Crane’s pleading vocals often sound on the edge, the reaches into an affected falsetto and unhinged shouts adding to the unsettled emotional anxiety.
Even more impressive is that Brazos closes out the EP with two quiet numbers. “Satellite” is the most different as far as the music goes due to its spacious and moody sound, pounding a dark beat behind Crane’s drawn out, droning vocals that eventually become washed over be the swell of noise that floods the end. “Nobody’s Listening,” on the other hand, keeps it simple, which works because of the weight that comes with Crane emphatically repeating: “What good are they anymore?” Variety has rarely ever been done so well.
It’s hard to predict exactly how Martin Crane and Co. will follow up this stellar EP, especially as they congeal as a more formal quartet. But for the sake of the ears that populate Austin’s indie scene, here’s hoping that Brazos can pull it all together and see out their full potential. Any other outcome would just be tragic.
Mp3s from A City Just as Tall:
Mary Jo
Mrs. Virginia
Websites:
www.brazosbrazos.com
Myspace
