A quick fill from drummer Jason Kadiwhompus and we’re off with a heavy downbeat groove. Then, for just a moment, the guitar deviates from the pocket to grab your attention with a sprawling E power chord, quickly rejoining the march of the rhythm section and shoring up the stage from which the story will be told. The cascading tones of the descending E minor pentatonic scale reveal a classic motif, reminiscent of early guitar hero Link Wray. Next, enter the husky baritone of singer, guitar player and songwriter Eli Clark. That's the start of "It Ain’t All That’s Left Behind," the title track and name of the much-anticipated latest studio album from The Other Brothers.
Clark's is a voice that's easily compared to classic baritone vocalists throughout rock history. Hints of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jim Morrison and Glenn Danzig help fuel his bluesy chant of "it ain’t all that’s left behind." And that’s a line that carries a lot of weight with a band that knows something about moving on from loss and tragedy.
In 2019, the unexpected death of bassist and co-founder Lorenz Inez, known as Larry to his friends and bandmates, put the future of the band into question. As Clark put it, “Losing Larry, and then the pandemic happening, we had been working like dogs up to that point and were ready to kind of take a look at what we wanted to do moving forward... The proverbial rug just kept getting pulled from underneath us.”
Moving forward
After suffering, as all bands did, through 2020 and questioning whether or not they should continue at all, The Other Brothers set out to find a new bassist. After playing with a few contenders, the job ultimately went to Larry’s friend, and Des Moines mainstay John Parrish.
Parrish had already been a fan of the band. “I was going to the shows when I didn’t have a show myself. If they were playing and I was going out, that’s where I was headed,” Parrish says. Of his new role: “I’m getting to play with my favorite band… I’m going to have fun.” Just like that, The Other Brothers had new life.
It Ain't All That's Left Behind
The new album, which is the band's fifth total, is as much a reflection of the hardships and internal conflicts that come with processing the death of their friend and bandmate as it is a totem for the regeneration of the desire to move forward.
Tracks like the album’s first single, "MIA," bring the high energy blues rock for which The Other Brothers are known, while lyrical themes of loss, tragedy and uncertainty bring to mind the band’s past. Then, deep into the album the band begins to show a fresh musical perspective, one that may have been inevitable given the inclusion of a new member.
The solo acoustic dirge "Rust Is The Color of My Love" shows a more sentimental side to Clark’s songwriting, while tracks like the pop-influenced "Every Road Takes Me Home" and the almost Foo Fighters-esque "Stuck In Reverse" showcase a band that is not afraid to deal with change head on. Even the spaghetti western style intro and outro bookend the album, evoking the imagery of a lone horseman riding into town... or perhaps riding off into the sunset, never to be seen again. It's a purposeful inclusion of musical ambiguity, allowing this listener to inject his own panoptic interpretation.
Clark says “It’s kinda this rebirth… when you chalk up all of that and its just great fodder for a blues song.” He adds: “The most poignant thing that was said, and Johnny (Parrish) was the one who put this in my head, was that Larry would want that. Everything that we’ve lost, everything that isn’t left behind, is still here.”
On the whole, this album is a classic offering from an established band with a strong following, and it offers plenty of new spin on the old sound. The chemistry between Kadiwhompus on drums and Parrish on bass, combined with a songwriter and frontman who is not afraid to evolve and take risks, make this album a must listen for classic Other Brother fans and newcomers alike. I'm looking forward to purchasing my physical copy in the form of an old fashion vinyl record.
It Ain’t All That’s Left Behind is set to be released June 7. The Other Brothers’ album release show is scheduled for June 8 at xBk Live in Des Moines, featuring opening act The Rumours. If you're interested in following the band, you can find them on Facebook and Instagram.