Donovan Giesbrecht and Chris Neufeld, the pair of singer songwriters behind the Other Brothers, throw their first album right into the crowded folk scene of Winnipeg, and in doing so, quickly establish themselves as one of the better bands of the genre. The Simon and Garfunkel comparisons quickly come to mind when hearing this album, but the Other Brothers are also reminiscent of musicians who would appear on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” like Robin and Linda Williams. Their songs are simple, but have a nice sense of melody. When the Brothers sing together, like in “Suit and Tie,” their voices compliment each other. Neither one tries to outshine the other brother. (Yes, I wanted to use that pun. Roll your eyes and move on.) In addition, a good majority of this album feels more upbeat, and less morose than other folk artists. They, however, still have a hallmark of the folk genre: the social issue song (“Sargent Avenue”), but even that song is well done. Giesbrecht and Neufeld are a truly good duo that has crafted an interesting first album. I’d gladly listen to their next one. (Independent, www.theotherbrothers.ca) Charles Lefebvre
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989