Austinist Capsule Reviews: Tom Brosseau, The Authors
Tom Brosseau - Posthumous Success
Tom Brosseau has been peddling his austere, upper-Midwestern folk for the better part of this decade, and listening through his catalog up to his latest and best effort Posthumous Success, it feels as though he’s been searching for a voice. Figuratively, of course: his actual voice is his most unique trait. A high, thin, occasionally plaintive tenor, it’s immediately recognizable and can be divisive: listeners seem to fall into either the love or hate camps when considering his timbre. In his continuing effort to find that figurative voice, Brosseau’s new LP was apparently conceived as an edgy, modern reaction to critics that have pegged him and his music as anachronistic, and while “edgy” may be going a bit far in describing Posthumous Success, the record is a welcome departure from his past work. Brosseau incorporates lovely instrumental and ambient passages, synthesizers, distorted drums, and heavy reverb into his traditional and typically acoustic songs to great effect, and even offers up a Lou Reed-esque vocal delivery on one of the album’s more straightforward tracks, “Drumroll.” Overall, and despite the old-timey cover art, this is a good first step for Brousseau if he’s genuinely interested in shucking his dustbowl troubadour image. Despite the fact that he may have intended it to be rougher-hewn than it turned out to be, Posthumous Success is a great, breezy soundtrack to a hot summer, and a positive shift in direction for a still-young talent.
Tom Brosseau has been peddling his austere, upper-Midwestern folk for the better part of this decade, and listening through his catalog up to his latest and best effort Posthumous Success, it feels as though he’s been searching for a voice. Figuratively, of course: his actual voice is his most unique trait. A high, thin, occasionally plaintive tenor, it’s immediately recognizable and can be divisive: listeners seem to fall into either the love or hate camps when considering his timbre. In his continuing effort to find that figurative voice, Brosseau’s new LP was apparently conceived as an edgy, modern reaction to critics that have pegged him and his music as anachronistic, and while “edgy” may be going a bit far in describing Posthumous Success, the record is a welcome departure from his past work. Brosseau incorporates lovely instrumental and ambient passages, synthesizers, distorted drums, and heavy reverb into his traditional and typically acoustic songs to great effect, and even offers up a Lou Reed-esque vocal delivery on one of the album’s more straightforward tracks, “Drumroll.” Overall, and despite the old-timey cover art, this is a good first step for Brousseau if he’s genuinely interested in shucking his dustbowl troubadour image. Despite the fact that he may have intended it to be rougher-hewn than it turned out to be, Posthumous Success is a great, breezy soundtrack to a hot summer, and a positive shift in direction for a still-young talent.
The Authors - S/T EP
With their freshly-minted debut EP, Austin band The Authors have crafted a slick, radio-ready suite of guitar-based indie pop songs. Evidenced by the EP’s chiming guitars, singer/guitarist Justin Prater’s earnest vocals, and drummer Angela Stroud’s insistent beats, the quartet is a talented group of musicians with a knack for arranging their songs in a manner that’s well-suited to their genre. Assuming their aspiration is to reach a mainstream audience, the problem that one can foresee the Authors having is distinguishing themselves in a very crowded field. It’s an obvious statement, but the brand of guitar pop they specialize in exploded in popularity a few years ago, and few of its many practitioners have managed to break out of obscurity in any meaningful way. Prater actually summarizes this pitfall nicely (albeit in a different context entirely) in the EP’s standout track “Tonight”: “drift away/we’re lost now in the mire/just like falling leaves/forgotten in a pile.” Ultimately, The Authors’ EP is a solid example of the moodier but still pop-oriented side of the new-wave/post-punk revival, and will hopefully earn them a devoted local fan base. While the odds of the group grabbing the attention of a great many listeners may not be in their favor, anything is possible - especially if they can establish and build on some momentum with this entirely respectable debut.
With their freshly-minted debut EP, Austin band The Authors have crafted a slick, radio-ready suite of guitar-based indie pop songs. Evidenced by the EP’s chiming guitars, singer/guitarist Justin Prater’s earnest vocals, and drummer Angela Stroud’s insistent beats, the quartet is a talented group of musicians with a knack for arranging their songs in a manner that’s well-suited to their genre. Assuming their aspiration is to reach a mainstream audience, the problem that one can foresee the Authors having is distinguishing themselves in a very crowded field. It’s an obvious statement, but the brand of guitar pop they specialize in exploded in popularity a few years ago, and few of its many practitioners have managed to break out of obscurity in any meaningful way. Prater actually summarizes this pitfall nicely (albeit in a different context entirely) in the EP’s standout track “Tonight”: “drift away/we’re lost now in the mire/just like falling leaves/forgotten in a pile.” Ultimately, The Authors’ EP is a solid example of the moodier but still pop-oriented side of the new-wave/post-punk revival, and will hopefully earn them a devoted local fan base. While the odds of the group grabbing the attention of a great many listeners may not be in their favor, anything is possible - especially if they can establish and build on some momentum with this entirely respectable debut.
Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
