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Despite the weighty subject matter and kinetic mayhem, the Danielson Famile are just an indie pop band, and listeners already familiar with Smith's distinctive shrieking and intricate arrangements will find much to love on Brother Is to Son, while the untested will either submit or run screaming to their mommies.
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Brother Is to Son is weird, but it's neither incomprehensible nor didactic.
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UncutAt times it's almost unbearably candid, an unflinching examination of his devotion both to homestead and to God. [Jul 2004, p.112]
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Superficially, Brother Is to Son is an uneasy listen for its spastic song structures, Smith's sometimes screeching vocals, and the taboo of its Christian ties. But the challenge is worth it.
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MojoBeautifully skewed gospel-folk songs. [Aug 2004, p.101]
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Q MagazineWilfully artful and obtuse. [Aug 2004, p.107]
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The group's preaching drifts into cacophony at times, but the handcrafted feel and casual melodicism mostly make Brother Is To Son sound crumpled, heartfelt, and true.
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However, after one has settled in to the comforts of "Daughters," a shriek comes swooping down in the form of Daniel Smith's falsetto voice. Even on these faster-paced tracks, where Smith's falsetto demands less attention, it is impossible to deny this is the shortcoming of Brother Is to Son.
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FilterThere is a lot going on here, sonically and substantially. [#11, p.98]
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It’s one fat, grotesque record. A used-car salesman’s pitch during the Apocalypse.
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Brother is to Son is a genuine pop triumph, the perfect execution of conceptual complexity and musical audacity, tied together with the timeless expression of one man measuring the motions of his soul.
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'Brother Is To Son' has to be listened to many a times before certain things start to fall into place. But when they do, boy, they sound great!
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This is utterly original, honest, intelligent music that sounds like nothing you'll hear elsewhere. It's not an easy listen, but it's well worth the time it takes to get to know it.
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The first few minutes sound like very early David Bowie without Mick Ronson, electricity, or songs. The rest is so annoying that after 15 minutes you'll fondly remember grade-school sing-alongs and eating paste during arts-and-crafts.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 9
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Mixed: 0 out of 9
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Negative: 2 out of 9
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BrandonApr 7, 2006This album reveals a little bit more brilliance with each listen.
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JonathanWApr 30, 2005Pppperfect.