Brothers Osborne ‘Skeletons’ Review: Timeless tunes infused with rock create magic in country storytelling
Six Grammy nominations, four CMA Awards, five ACM trophies and more than a half-dozen hits is how you introduce the country music duo, Brothers Osborne. The duo consisting of brothers TJ Osborne (lead vocals) and John Osborne (lead guitar, background vocals) stepped-into the country/experimental rock and roll scene in 2013 but did not release any album until 2016. However, they still kept everybody on their toes with their hit singles. Within a gap of four years, here they are, all set to enthrall their fans with their brand new album ‘Skeletons’.
The Nashville-based duo’s fresh project is a follow-up to their 2018 much-acclaimed album ‘Port Saint Joe’. The boys have truly hit their stride, finding a sweet spot between the undeniable radio hits of their first album ‘Pawn Shop’ and the mature, career-building charisma of ‘Port Saint Joe’. They've been building momentum since 2014, the year ‘Pawn Shop’s first single, ‘Rum’, introduced a band of country-rockers who were ready to chase down mainstream success on their own terms. Switch to 2020, the brothers are not afraid to experiment with sounds and unlike other country musicians, they don’t even stick to the boring routine and mundane music. Just like their previous two albums, even ‘Skeletons’ was recorded with multi-platinum producer Jay Joyce amidst the global pandemic and a tornado in March 2020 which missed Joyce's studio by several blocks.
The deeply rooted album with uplifting music opens with the track ‘Lighten Up’ as if they are asking us to be comfortable, sit back, grab a beer and listen to the rest of the songs on a sunny afternoon. The 3.17-minute song serves as perfect opener for this album. The song starts on a melodious note but soon switches lane to electric guitars topped with baritone vocals something which the duo is known for. All is good until the chorus kicks in and you feel like you are listening to Eddie Vedder’s ‘Hard Sun’. We could not help but compare because the tune and the flow do have an uncanny resemblance with the popular song.
TJ Osborne opens the ‘All Night’ with his bass-heavy soothing vocals and sings, “I got the good, if you got the time/I got the moon, if you got the shine/I got the back, if you got the beat/Got that solid gold country 33 on repeat/All night/Get, get, get to livin', feelin' alright/Dancin' out the denim in 'em, oh my, Levi/I got the fuse, if you got the light/I got the all, if y'all got the night/All night, All night.” The song as the name suggests is perfect if you feel like pulling an all-nighter at a party with strangers and make new friends. You can check out the official music video of the song here:
‘All The Good Ones Are’ and ‘I'm Not For Everyone’ are two soothing numbers from the album. The Maryland-reared brothers go easy on their guitars and vocals and if you are up for the old-school love of country music, then these two are a must check. The title track, ‘Skeletons’, is a song which we rarely get to hear in a country music album. The lyrics of the track go like, “I heard you been creeping 'round, 'Bout the time that sun goes down/You been talking in your sleep, And it's been going on for weeks/And I been solving puzzle pieces, High time to come to Jesus.” The moment you will plug-in to this song, you will realise that songs like these are supposed to be played at sold-out concerts. It is meant for that. Check the official audio of the song on right here:
In an official statement, John Osborne said, “Our concerts are big, loud, rock shows. We wanted to make a record where, no matter which song we cherrypicked from the tracklist, we'd be able to do it during our show.” The Osbornes aren't shy about wearing their influences on their sleeves. The bar-band bombast of ‘Back On The Bottle’ pays tribute to Merle Haggard, whereas ‘High Note’ will make you nostalgic about ballads you have earlier heard. It is a sad breakup song but with a positive spin and it is also one of the best songs from the album for sure.
And, just when you thought about slipping into a sad zone with ‘High Note’, the very next track ‘Muskrat Greene’ completely changes the mood with quick guitar riffs and cheerful melodies. The boys kick up some serious dust with the song with the song. ‘Muskrat Greene’ is a wild ride of an instrumental that fuses elements of funk, bluegrass, jazz piano and hints of southern rock. The barn-burning ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ nods to southern rockers like Marshall Tucker and the Allman Brothers Band but they've never sounded more self-assuredly original than they do here, confidently rolling a diverse range of inspiration into their own singular sound. Check out the official lyrical video of the song right here:
As we mentioned earlier, the album was recorded during the pandemic and reflecting on these hard times, Brothers Osborne decided to remind all of us of the simpler times with the help of ‘Make It A Good One’. The beautiful song sheds light on how nobody is immune to feeling confused or hopeless, but we still have to march ahead no matter what. ‘Hatin’ Somebody’ will show you the overall scenario of the political climate of how stubborn people are, how we have lost long lost friendships over political discussions. The music is a touch of the generic country music which we have heard all these years. The message of the song might be the need of the hour but you can skip the song if you focus on the music.
‘Old Man’s Boots’ wraps up the album ‘Skeletons’ and is a perfect example of classic country storytelling. The 3.16-minute song is absolutely soothing and will take you to the good old days of country music. There are no fancy vocals and no experimental sounds here which is rare but feels refreshing. In a nutshell, ‘Skeletons’ is a celebration of that sound - a melodic, muscular album that builds upon the hooks of the band's career-launching debut, ‘Pawn Shop’, as well as the forward-thinking adventurousness of their sophomore release, ‘Port Saint Joe’. More than anything, it's a sound rooted in the excitement and electricity of Brothers Osborne's concerts, packed with songs that could all serve as crowd-rousing encores.
The album will hit the Internet on Friday, October 9, 2020, via EMI Nashville. Fans will be able to enjoy the album on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Soundcloud and YouTube. You can also pre-order the album here.