It all starts off so promisingly. Following the blueprint of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 'Blind' builds from a quiet acoustic strum to a reverb-drenched swaggering rockout, a maelstrom of guitars and business-like percussion. Lead single, 'Standing Still,' is another cool, confident rock tune with a crunching guitar sound and stomping beat.
Before long, though, the rough and ready rock edges yield to more melodic and altogether less exciting sonic territories. So having demonstrated their softer, more sensitive side with 'Sister' and 'Someday' it wouldn't be unreasonable to hope for a bit more rock action. Alas, for all its marching drums and swirling Hammond organs, 'The Salute' feels a little lacklustre, and elsewhere a lack of balls behind the production means that songs that probably sound great live fail to really bite. The guitars on 'War and Peace' are far too low in the mix, and instead of closing being a burst of exhilarating blues-based riffing we get a rather restrained hint at what could have been.
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It's not all so disappointing: there's an urgency about 'Is God Dead,' and a 60s beat / pop feel with harmonies galore and sweet guitar lines on 'Coming Home' evidence the band's 'vintage' leanings that echo 'Automatic' era Mary Chain, not least of all in its chugging bass.
Closer 'We Shall Lift Our Heads' is a slow-burning and quite monumental instrumental that concludes the set with a cymbal-crashing climax that finally delivers the same kind of force as the first couple of tracks.
Perhaps this long-player would have worked better as an EP, or maybe the production doesn't really play to the band's strengths. Either way, it's a pity, as they've clearly got something, and I'm not convinced we've heard the best of The Brothers Movement yet.
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