Clamp It Down

Album Review

By the time the Brothers Groove released their debut CD Clamp It Down they had become widely known to Detroit audiences as a tight-knit funk groove trio that could be found playing a number of different detroit clubs almost any night of the week. As tried and proven musicians, Chris Codish (keys and vocals), James Simonson (bass), and Michael Caskey (drums) had become completely adept at taking their worked through songs and adding extensions and flavors that could keep an audience entertained and dancing for hours without becoming tired of hooks and other tricks that rock bands employ. See, the Brothers Groove are not really a rock band (although they do write pop songs and can technically rock out), and they're also not really a jazz band (although they do play extended instrumental arrangements that flow freely inside and outside the realm of improvisation), and they're not really a blues band (although the Real Detroit magazine had awarded them the title of Best Blues Band of 2000). With that said, Clamp it Down is a successful romp into this melting pot of blues funk driven jazz-pop-rock gumbo. Songs like "Pressure Cooker" and "My Girlfriend Too" blast out of the hi-fi in raw energy and excitement, while "Fat Daddy," "She's a Dancer," and "Funny With the Money" roll on in a rollicking atmosphere of bubbling organ and choppy on the one rhythmic patterns, all providing for a varied listening experience. Unfairly and incorrectly compared to Medeski, Martin and Wood (due mostly to the instrumentation more than anything else), the Brothers defy definition by simply being themselves and not by trying to trip out their audiences with psychedelia or heavy prog-rock lyricism. They prefer to keep it simple and fun (yet still intelligent and thought provoking). Those who have seen the the Brothers Groove work it out live may find Clamp it Down to be a bit poppier than their outings — which it is — but this disc is about creating a cohesive body of songs, and their live shows are more about the Brothers finding those spaces between the dancefloor to inject some atmosphere. So, is their first trip to the studio a smashing and relentless success? Well, not exactly — by no means is it weak, and there's really not a bad song on it, but all in all it lacks a little bit of the edge and spark that accompany their live shows. In the end, this is a good first outing that leaves one with the anticipation of their next live show and their next record.