A Defeat of Echoes

Album Review

The fifth album from adventurous folk-rock troupe Donovan's Brain finds the Montana foursome of Jeff Arntsen, Ron Craighead, Colter Langan, and Ronald Sanchez defying easy categorization. Touches of classic rock acts — from the Byrds ("Whispers and Cries") to Pink Floyd ("The Boy Who Cried New Town") — permeate A Defeat of Echoes and make it an easy sell for fans of obscure 1970s Anglo-pop. The arguable height here is Langan's immediately gratifying, tightly wound "Too Far Gone," but the confident roll of "City Morning" — counting the Windbreakers' Bobby Sutcliffe in a supporting role — is a damn close second. Granted, the instrumental "Bondi Tombstone" seems like an unfulfilled song-sketch, but the disc's variety — be it the somber introduction of "Come to My Party" or the fuzzy roar of "Decade of Days" — avow that Donovan's Brain are all over the pop landscape in a downright refreshing way. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide