I’ve been hearing about The Felice Brothers for a few months now and finally got my hands on a copy of Tonight At The Arizona; a magical album. The band is comprised of brothers Simone, Ian, and James Felice, and a buddy named Christmas and they play some truly threadbare country-folk that sounds so honest (at times) it almost makes me cringe. Most of the songs are stark and unadorned with a haunting realism permeating through them. Sure, drums, bass, and a shaker here or a harmonica there augment what is basically acoustic guitar and voice, but nothing is embellished; nothing is over-the-top.
Now every single review you read of Tonight At The Arizona will undoubtedly compare The Felice Brothers to The Band and Bob Dylan, but those comparisons are absolutely warranted. The album sounds old, tired, well-traveled but also pulls in other influences ranging from Woody Guthrie to Neil Young; you know, the backbone of simple and earnest Americana. The thing that The Felice Brothers have going for them is that they do this so much better than most. In fact, this album (while being of modern compositions) could hold its own against many of the so-called classics.
With their dusty shoes and tattered hats, on Tonight At The Arizona The Felice Brothers have made a rough-edged and flawed masterpiece. It is the imperfections (however) that make the album shine so much brighter than what any amount of studio production gloss could do. Easily one of the best new albums I’ve heard in a long time.
MP3 | The Felice Brothers – Ballad Of Lou The Welterweight Tonight At The Arizona
MP3 | The Felice Brothers – Rockefeller Druglaw Blues Tonight At The Arizona
