Brothermandude: Brothermandude

A success story from MySpace is now almost commonplace, but Brothermandude want to ensure that more than online users hear them. Their debut album has lead singer Shake’s raspy voice sounding like Rod Stewart or Bryan Adams in his prime during the powerful and punchy “Movin On”. The band definitely has substance, especially on the mid-tempo “Living High” that sounds like John Mayer or Dave Matthews with a chip on his shoulder. There’s a certain dark, mysterious quality to the songs that give them depth, particularly on the winding, edgier “Slicksville”, which is a tad slick. Thankfully they get back to basics with the catchy, pop rock of “Painkiller” with lead singer Shake running on all cylinders. Even what could be dubbed as filler is very strong, particularly the radio-friendly “Automatic”. However, the group can’t save “Heart Attack” from itself, resulting in the first bump in the record. The gear shifting “Mannequin” fares better as does the heady “Angel Sphere” with its Middle Eastern textures. The group chose an odd coda in a seven-minute “Souls” but Brothermandude aren’t your typical cookie-cutter bands. Not by a longshot… dude.