By: David Schultz

Something wonderful seems to happen when brothers form a band. Maybe it's the familiarity, perhaps it's the rivalry; but as The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Oasis and The Black Crowes have shown, it's a recipe for success. Jake and Daniel Sproul, two-thirds of the Boulder, Colorado trio Rose Hill Drive recreate the magic of the famous brother combinations of the past, cramming all of the energy and excitement of their live performances into their self-titled debut album. Released on the generally jamcentric SCI Fidelity label, Rose Hill Drive avoids settling into a comfortable groove, unleashing a furious assault of guitar based modern rock sure to prick up many ears.

In a voice worthy of the most epic metal singers, Jake Sproul, who also plays bass, keeps his vocals restrained, using it to accentuate Rose Hill's songs, not caterwaul over them. On their debut, Sproul narrates scenes populated with gurus, gunslingers and gypsy outlaws looking for existential meaning or temporal salvation, creating landscapes filled with unavoidable confrontations, timeless struggles and descents into the depths of one's soul. While Wolfmother escorted Led Zeppelin's psychedelic mysticism into the 21st Century, Rose Hill Drive chaperones the hard-hitting assault of Houses Of The Holy era Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones into the future.

Musically, Rose Hill Drive cruises along, joyously shifting gears and showing the versatility of their much praised live performances that have earned plaudits from luminaries like Pete Townshend. Far from coming across as uneven or schizophrenic (or "quadrophenic" as Mr. Townshend might say), their ability to vary their sound demonstrates their unlimited potential. On "The Guru" they sound like a less psychedelic My Morning Jacket; on "Cool Cody" the conjure up the ghost of Leslie West's Mountain; on "Declaration Of Independence," part of the album's acoustic interlude, they create a Beatle-esque vibe and on "In The Beginning," Daniel Sproul emulates an acoustical Jimmy Page. They do have a knack for creating rabble rousers: the hair-metal derived "Man On Fire" improves with repeated listens; "Raise Your Hands," borrowing from Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression," immediately blossoms. The band works some intricate arrangements into their work, most notably on "Showdown" and "The Guru." The flip side of such innovation: standard fare, like "Cold Enough" suffers by comparison.

Rose Hill Drive's debut shows exceptional promise for a young band that boasts that their combined ages still make them younger than Keith Richards. After celebrating the release of their debut disc with a week of shows in the Centennial State, Rose Hill Drive will embark on an extensive North American tour, heading over to England in the fall.

Labels: Rose Hill Drive