Album Review: Brother Townsend (Heavy Hands)

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Four songs and the release clocks in at 24 minutes. Having four rather long songs is quite an undertaking, but Brother Townsend rises to the occasion. An unconventional melding of blues, pop, rock, cosmic country, and psychedelia is the signature of this release. What it may give up in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. All four songs are expertly crafted. Discipline is also the operative word here. While the album is entitled “Heavy Hands,” the production, mixing, and engineering is surprisingly light and ambient. Lots of open space to let the listener reflect on the music without being overwhelmed with production gimmicks. All the instrumentation is spot on and the fills, while sometimes understated, are all in the right place at the right time. It is hard to keep a listener engaged for six-plus minutes of a song but Brother Townsend executes perfectly.

(more…)