Review: JEFF the Brotherhood - Wasted On The Dream
By Sam Carroll, Contributor
[Infinity Cat Recordings; 2015]
Rating: 3/5
Key Tracks: “Voyage Into Dreams,” “Melting Place,” “Prairie Song”
Cover art can have an impact on whether someone buys a record. Such could be the case with JEFF the Brotherhood’s Wasted On The Dream. It’s amateurish and looks rushed. Fortunately, it doesn’t apply to the music on the album.
Wasted On The Dream is the duo’s eighth studio effort. Its sound can be described as a pop-punk album thrown into a crock-pot and basted with juices from psych-rock, garage and heavy metal. If Wasted really were a pot roast, the final product wouldn’t make it in the pages of a publication like Bon Appetite. Cooking Light would be a safer bet.
“Voyage Into Dreams” kickstarts the LP with abrasive power chords as drums pump out a grooving rhythm. The track has an upbeat atmosphere filled with subtle reverb and phased-out keyboards at its breakdown. The lyrics provide a sci-fi flavor, “Voyage into dreams / Won’t you come with me / Voyage into dreams / Tell me what you see.” Voice modulation makes frontman Jake Orrall’s vocal delivery sound like an android, adding to the piece’s spacey sound. Although clear, the vocals are nasally and don’t mix with the music’s heaviness. Even so, the song would pair well with the star gate sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
“Melting Place” treads into doom territory. It’s the only cut that slows down to build a heavy, sulking tone. Stylistically, the track’s main riff follows closely to Electric Wizard’s “Return to the Sun of Nothingness.” The song is all right, but it doesn’t adhere with the rest of Wasted’s quick sound. The vocals are spot on with the music’s style, but the lyrics alone sound like a tacky fantasy tale. “There’s a giant man / With giant hands / And his eyes are filled with holes.” The last half of the song is a solo with Black Sabbath written in bold letters.
The record closes with its most introspective track, “Prairie Song.” The track’s power chord-driven jam doesn’t add or take away, but gives the vocals something to follow. The lyrics sound like a rejection of society’s material norms. “No more credit cards / No more telephone / I don’t want to live anymore / Someone else’s dream.”
Pop is one of JEFF’s influences, and it spreads its sappy wings across some tracks more than others. “Black Cherry Pie” is one of those. The music is heavy, but the structure and styling screams mushy pop. “When we hear our favorite band / We’ll lay down on the beach / Get wasted on the dream.”
Whoever was assigned to create the artwork for Wasted On The Dream needs to brush up on their Photoshop skills. It’s mediocre and doesn’t represent the music well. The LP isn’t a technical showcase, but displays how well JEFF’s bare bones approach and pop influence blend together. The feel-good vibe the album creates is perfect for cruising along the California coast at sunset in an old ragtop Corvette.
