Somera Sol
Somera Sol, from Brant Bjork & the Bros, is an album that has tracks that can be classified as rock anthems with instrumentation that will jar listeners' minds and lyrics that will speak to any classic rock and roll aficionado.
"Turn Yourself On" has kicking guitar from Bjork and Mario Lalli. The drum play from Alfredo Hernandez is severe in its tone as vocalist Captain Sean Wheeler emotes about a certain woman's qualities and what she should do because of them: "You're an angel in disguise/From here to eternity. There's no gas in between. You're right on top. In the morning sun you've got to turn yourself on, and what you're runnin' from. I'm just receivin' you."
On "Shrine Communications" there is fast-paced bass work from Dylan Roche and even speedier drum and percussion play from Hernandez. The combination makes for an isochronal melody that will ring in listeners' ears so much so that they might find themselves humming the tune long after it ceases. The song talks about contact with a certain grade of individuals with lyrics like, "Communicate with the ones who are high all day." Some of the lyrics are said so quickly that listeners might have to refer to the album's liner notes for their meaning, but the skilled instrumentation might make them overlook that.
"Oblivion" has heavy drum build up from Hernandez in the intro and hurried guitar work from Lalli and Bjork. On this song the band conjures up images of removed places with pie-in-the-sky lyrics like, "Clouds roll by/Sweet dreams on the radio." This is just the right song for listeners to bray while in a car with friends barreling down a highway to destinations unknown.
"The Native Tongue" has an infectious beat propagated by pounding drum play from Hernandez and rippling bass work from Roche. The pace of the song is cool, yet psychedelic: "In a galaxy far far away. In a neighborhood, along the edge of outer space. This world is gone now/You can hear the native tongue/You'll never wanna stay. You'll never wanna stay. It took us to this place. When a boy never door got bored and dug his own grave." Wheeler's vocals are calm and collected as he sings peculiar lines about a world that listeners should hope never to inhabit.
Brant Bjork & the Bros, "Somera Sol," has lithe instrumentation and lyrics that might faze listeners with their hidden meanings and expedited oration, but the beats are not to be ignored and they will encourage listeners not to give up on a unique album filled with superb rock ditties.