The Brother Kite – Waiting for the Time to Be Right

Providence, Rhode Island's The Brother Kite began crafting their shoegaze-inflected rock sound in 2001, when founding members Patrick Boutwell and Jon Downs began writing and recording original material as a duo. Bassist Andrea Mason and guitarist Mark Howard joined them in 2002, and the band released a split 7" record with friends Vaguely Starshaped on Boston's Losing Blueprint Records. The Brother Kite then released their first full length album on Clairecords, thebrotherkite (2004), a self-titled and self-recorded serving of layered guitars and buoyant melodies. Their ambitious debut earned them nationwide attention from critics and music fans alike. They soon enlisted Matt Rozzero as full-time drummer, and relentlessly toured the east coast, gaining new fans at every show and further refining their unique sound. With the success of thebrotherkite, they were poised to take a bold step, but knew the restrictions of traditional studio recording wouldn't allow for the creative freedom they needed to realize their vision. So they did what any band would do: build their own studio! Waiting For The Time To Be Right is the long-awaited result of this endeavor, a brave new rock record, astonishing not only for its depth and maturity, but also for its willingness to stray from the shoegaze sound that most easily defined their previous works. Layered guitar textures remain, of course, an important ingredient. However, Boutwell's impassioned vocals are now pushed to the forefront, showcasing a Brian Wilson-esque gift for melody hinted at in earlier songs. Guitarist/engineer Downs demonstrates a knack for crafting mini-symphonies out of Boutwell's creations, while drummer Rozzero's skillful percussion adds subtle new dimensions at every turn. Include Mason's rock-solid bass and Howard's elegant lead guitar, and the result is an album of dynamically orchestrated pop, equal parts Loveless and Smile, Quadrophenia and The Soft Bulletin. With Waiting For The Time To Be Right, The Brother Kite respectfully pay homage to some of rock's great achievements, while carving out an innovative spot for themselves in the world of today's independent music.

I'll give it a whirl, what the hell.

new album 'isolation' out sep 14

and quite lovely it is too, though they have pretty much entirely dumped their shoegaze leanings, which was kinda to be expected

damn i forgot this album exists in the three years since my injury. I forgot it so hard that i couldnt remember the band name, i had to google “providence indie,” or something.

i put it on and was absolutely euphoric, i love it beyond reason. it’s just a “thing” that mines a hole right into me.

i've now listened to _isolation_ and _model rocket_ a lot, they shoulda been more renowned. they do go from shoegaze to powerpop across the arc, but boutwell is consistently charismatic and the tunes are great and so well assembled. like, i'll hear a modulation in father to son and go, YUP.