Going back to their roots.
After almost a decade of constant touring, The Brook & The Bluff took a break and stayed put in Nashville, meeting up every weekday morning for band practice. It was just like old times for the four-piece, who came out of Auburn University, allowing them to rediscover their rock & roll roots on their fourth album, Werewolf. As frontman Joseph Settine put it, “The goal was to treat the record like a live set. With each song, we asked ourselves, will this be incredible to play on stage?”
Produced by Micah Tawlks, catchy guitar riffs and four-part harmonies are much in evidence. The title track sets the scene with a crunching guitar opening, telling a tale of self-introspection after a particularly messy breakup. It’s a theme that continues through Can’t Figure It Out, which Settine wrote during the final stages of a crumbling relationship. It defies its subject matter as a hook-filled pop song influenced by The Eagles Seven Bridges Road.
There’s a nice balance to the album with straight-ahead rockers like 105 and Get By, joined by the gentle folk of Baby Blue and the soulful Change My Mind. The Brook & the Bluff’s real strength is their togetherness, which comes across loud and clear. The recording process saw the band members sit together in a circle, playing each song as live, which certainly adds to the intimacy of the ten tracks. The closing Moving Along could be Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young with soaring harmonies over an acoustic backing. “How am I supposed to know when all these steps find home?” sings Settine.
The more you get involved with Werewolf, the more you’ll discover.
