Review by Dillon Crader
Kevin Geyer, guitarist and backing vocalist of The Story So Far, and Dan Rose, vocalist of Daybreaker, announced back in December of 2013 the release of their new side project, Elder Brother. Three months later, Elder Brother released their first full-length album Heavy Head on March 11th via Pure Noise Records. The first time listening to Heavy Head, Dan’s vocals instantly calmed me; paralyzing all of my stress and problems. Not only are Dan’s vocals beautiful, but the lyrics written for the album are also truly meaningful. You can hear the emotions in Dan’s voice in every track, as if he’s telling you an important story.
These emotions are also captured by Kevin’s guitar playing.Outside of the Story So Far, Elder Brother really brings Kevin’s guitar playing abilities to the table. His guitar solos and rhythmic picking mix very well with Dan’s vocals making this whole album superb. At first I wasn’t sure about this release, thinking that the mix between Datbreaker and The Story So Far might sound odd, but upon listening to the album for the first time, Dan’s vocals pulled me in immediately. The sound that Dan and Kevin found is truly one of a kind. Elder Brother offers a new side of music that differs from both The Story So Far and Daybreaker. Though Heavy Head wasn’t on the top of my list for releases this year, it definitely has become one of my favorite albums of 2014.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to: “Throw Me to the Wolves”