The Felice Brothers
Self-Titled (Team Love)
click to enlarge
If the Felice Brothers’ new album has a fatal flaw, it’s that it opens with what could quite possibly wind up being the best song of 2008. ‘Frankie’s Gun’ is everything the band’s press materials — full of references to the mountains of upstate New York, ragged Americana and a deep appreciation for the story song — lead you to believe the whole record will be, with blaring accordion, refrains of “sha-na-na,” references to heavy drinking, loyalty among friends and family, and a story of two ill-fated criminals. The rest of the record rarely reaches such obvious heights, with much of its space set aside for considerably slower, quieter tracks — few of which are bad, and many of which are really quite good. But between ‘Take This Bread’ and ‘Love Me Tenderly’, both of which come damn close to matching the energy and immense likeability of ‘Frankie’s Gun’, it’s hard not to wish they’d keep it up for an entire album
