30 Apr 2024
Calico Brothers - NZ Herald
05 Jul 2009 // A review by dubhappy
Rating: * * * *
Verdict: Shining debut from Auckland band of "brothers".
We got the tests back and we know they're not really related. But as far as "Calico goes, well this Auckland outfit sure doesn't lack for material (er, boom boom) - this album of sparkling pop-rockers comes after last year's likeable God Left Town EP.
And while that fraternal moniker might suggest something collective and rustic, some of the best moments here are the loneliest, when frontman-guitarist and producer Andrew Thorne is left to his own spartan devices - as on the artfully reverbed Stay or Lost on the Motorway.
On most of this, Thorne's sweetly Lennon/Harrisonesque voice and guitar leads his band through a mix of country-rock janglers (the title track), harmony-heavy 60s-echoing baroque folk-rock (Up For Air, Tread Carefully), with the occasional heavier urge (Always Said I'd Do).
Sometimes this skirts familiar territory - Weight Around My Heart feels like Paul Kelly finding a good use for R.E.M.'s old mandolin. But it's an album that's much more than the sum of its influences.These pretend-siblings sure aren't faking it when it comes to high-finesse guitar-pop songcraft.
Russell Baillie
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/music-reviews/2009/6/20/calico-brothers-tell-it-sun/?c_id=1501982
Rating: * * * *Verdict: Shining debut from Auckland band of "brothers".
We got the tests back and we know they're not really related. But as far as "Calico goes, well this Auckland outfit sure doesn't lack for material (er, boom boom) - this album of sparkling pop-rockers comes after last year's likeable God Left Town EP.
And while that fraternal moniker might suggest something collective and rustic, some of the best moments here are the loneliest, when frontman-guitarist and producer Andrew Thorne is left to his own spartan devices - as on the artfully reverbed Stay or Lost on the Motorway.
On most of this, Thorne's sweetly Lennon/Harrisonesque voice and guitar leads his band through a mix of country-rock janglers (the title track), harmony-heavy 60s-echoing baroque folk-rock (Up For Air, Tread Carefully), with the occasional heavier urge (Always Said I'd Do).
Sometimes this skirts familiar territory - Weight Around My Heart feels like Paul Kelly finding a good use for R.E.M.'s old mandolin. But it's an album that's much more than the sum of its influences.These pretend-siblings sure aren't faking it when it comes to high-finesse guitar-pop songcraft.
Russell Baillie
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/music-reviews/2009/6/20/calico-brothers-tell-it-sun/?c_id=1501982
About Calico Brothers
With great reviews, shows throughout New Zealand and the inclusion of the title track on the double-platinum selling ‘Outrageous Fortune’ soundtrack, February 2009 found the band in the studio with a bag full of new songs and other things.
A basement studio. A live set up. The warmth of Turkish rugs. Tracks laid down with a minimum of fuss. The session’s effortlessly soulful performances are the product of the Calico’s rapport and their respect for many musical traditions.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Calico Brothers
Other Reviews By dubhappy
Calico Brothers - Tone Magazine
05 Jul 2009 // by dubhappy
What is it about the sound quality of NZ-made recordings? Back in the '70s and '80s, we were decidedly inferior in recording, production, engineering.
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Calico Brothers - Bill's Music Forum
05 Jul 2009 // by dubhappy
"Tell It To The Sun" is the full-length debut album from New Zealand's Calico Brothers, who made quite a splash on the indie jangle-pop scene with their 2008 EP, "God Left Town". The band is true to its name - composed of three brothers, one cousin, and one friend, all of whom are strumming out some of the most harmonious acoustic pop this side of The Traveling Wilburys.
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Calico Brothers - Absolute Power Pop
05 Jul 2009 // by dubhappy
Calico Brothers-Tell it to the Sun. The New Zealand act which brought us one of 2008's top EPs makes their full length debut and picks up where they left off.
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Calico Brothers - Various
05 Jul 2009 // by dubhappy
In the farway land of Waitakere, New Zealand, the Calico Brothers broke into the modern music scene in 2008 with their debut EP, God Left Town. In the basement studio, Chet O'Connell (guitar), Jimmy Calico(bass) and Robbie Calico(drums) finished their debut full length "Tell It To The Sun.
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