The Felice Brothers – Celebration Minotaur

Rating:

If the rumors are true, The Felice Brothers started their musical careers as a band playing in the New York City subway system, which would explain their vagabond sound. With this being their fourth full-length releases to this date, this band looks to continue their folksy alternative rock on Celebration Florida.

 If you’re someone who has never listened to this band, it may take a little while to acclimate to their scatterbrained style of jams. I mean, it’s nothing revolutionary, but there is a certain looseness that takes getting used to. On the fist song, you can see this creative lack of order. Starting out with “Fire at the Pageant,” the primary sounds that arrive at your ears are that of some percussive elements, which begins the stomper. Transitioning back and forth between explosively loud and then quiet and soft, they seem to be playing a bit with their audience, giving them a taste of the whimsical yet seriousness of their craft.

Despite the jangly start, there seems to be a hint of sinister creeping through the notes on the first number, which continues later on in the album, but is pushed under the rug for the next few songs. The next standout track comes on “Honda Civic.” Despite my affinity for this song, I feel like I would like it about five times more than I do if auto-tune wouldn’t have been used on the chorus. Otherwise, this number is great; horns throughout combining with the prevalent vocals make for a groovy beat.

Some of the melancholy and more serious side of The Felice Brothers is evident on “Ponzi,” which features dramatic and sultry piano throughout. But only serious for a little while, until they break out of the tango-esque mold and into their own jamming style. However, this seems to be the tone of the rest of the album. This band keeps on doing their thing to the very end, whether it’s breaking things down, or keeping them stoic and reserved.

They maintain this balance pretty well on Celebration Florida. Things get a little boring for me at the end, but the great start compensates for this. Overall, it definitely has some songs that are enticing enough to become part of my every day repertoire, but not nearly enough to land Celebration Florida among my list of greats. Regardless, give it a listen yourself.