The Brother Bicker Band brings a sweet but strong touch in their album Another Kind of Train. The alternative rock group from Calgary, Canada features seven band members created a fun album that gives its listeners an enjoyable escape from reality. The album presents Taylor Miles on drums, Jim Duncan on bass, Jeremy Hrdlicka on vocals and acoustic guitar, Tom Mogan on guitar and vocals, Ben Ellard on keys, with Jennele Coulson and Claire Wilkes providing vocals. The seven friends and groupmates add a twist to the rock genre that make their music refreshing to hear.
“Nashville Sound” immediately catches your ear with the smooth bass and sweet guitar melody. The song features the rich vocals of the band’s lead vocalists, pulling you deeper into the song. The song resembles a rock album with a southern twang that gives you a feeling of nostalgia. “Nashville Sound” tells a story of an American beauty and takes its listeners through a surreal listening experience. The song is a beautiful way to start the album and sets the tone of the sweet rock n roll album.
“Stone” begins with emotional guitar chords accompanied with strong lead vocals and shredding guitar melodies. The background choir vocals accentuate the melody and emphasize the emotive lyrics. The lyrics say, “Sweet, sweet heart of mine/ I’m gonna break again a million times/ This is true if I go.” The lyrics emphasize feelings of heartbreak and how loving someone can end up hurting you in the end. “Stone” is one of my personal favorites on the album from the musical variation and the passionate vocals that make you want to sing along.
“Take My Gun” features an emotional ballad that showcases the talent of the lead vocalists Jennele Coulson and Claire Wilkes. The lyricism mixed with the country twang of the electric guitar make for an enjoyable listening experience. The song expresses a desire to be freed from a relationship and the “sins” from it. The lyrics say, “Take my badge/ Take my gun/ I know the things I’ve done/ Take my hand/ Take my heart/ I want a brand-new start/ Take my gun.” “Take My Gun” is the perfect take on a country love song that tells the story of love troubles with captivating vocals and a rich guitar.
The album ends with “Bottles”, a song that begins with beautiful guitar strumming and strong lead vocals. “Bottles” features artistic guitar interludes and key changes that match the connotation of the lyrics. The use of imagery and metaphors is what makes it so enticing, especially the main lyric of “The bottle is broken.” The bottle symbolizes the relationship between two lovers and it breaking expresses the beginning of the end for their relationship. The song speaks to those who have grown out of relationships and understand the pain of wanting to stay but knowing you must leave.
The Brother Bicker Band’s Another Kind of Train is the perfect mixture of sweet country music and the bluesy tunes of rock ‘n roll. The album is a classic take on love and its troubles, the melodies and lyrics creating a beautiful body of work. Each song features similar musical elements but is still unique and indulgent to listen to. The Brother Bicker Band has said they are “trying to recapture that memory, that feeling, that love, that loss and that amazing moment in time with every song” and they do just that. Their album creates a sense of nostalgia in listeners that opens their heart and creates a sensational experience.
Written by Kyla Hutchinson
