Tooth and Claw

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You can't fault Our Brother the Native for trying to make the best of this album. The fact that the band created this debut record before even meeting as a group should definitely raise eyebrows, though, and the trio has created one of the more bizarre, disjointed, fragmented, and at times boring pieces of music you've probably heard. The album starts off on a promising note with "Introduction -- Welcome to the Aviary," which sounds like a cross between Devendra Banhart and children skipping rope to a Syd Barrett nursery rhyme. But after those precious few moments, the song peters out quickly. "Apodiformes" is a faster, uptempo tune before spacy vocals and effects come in and out of the subtle folk-pop song. It contains a childlike delivery with some interesting accents that seems to make it work, with good but not great results. The songs are promising to start, particularly the light, airy Floyd-ian feel that oozes from "Falconiformes." The song's Southern-tinted vocals give it a warm, earthy feel. But it then devolves into something quite weird, with high-pitched female vocals coming into the mix. Early on, the listener realizes this might work in a live setting with film accompanying it, but on disc alone it slowly becomes grating. And the trio involved in the album's creation does little to remove these numbers from what could be considered a very hazy, unfinished, and unfocused presentation. "Welcome to the Arborary" starts off well before again veering into a string of oddly placed effects and quirky vocals with little direction. Comparisons to CocoRosie are justified, but only during the lullaby-like "Catalpa" do Our Brother the Native measure up to that band. The first highlight has to be the pretty, hushed, and tender tones of "Tilia Petiolaris," which strolls along without a care in the world. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between art and tedium, and the songs too often fall into the latter category, especially on "Nautical Spirits -- Welcome to the Aquarium." And songs such as "Octopodidae" do nothing to persuade you otherwise. "Nautilidae" wraps up this album. It's an improvement on what is otherwise a record that would take a number of listens to warm up to -- if at all.
© Jason MacNeil /TiVo