Band : Blues Brother Castro
Album title : Out On Te Beach
Label : Excelsior Recordings
Distributor : V2 Benelux
Release date : 04/04/2011
Release : CD

I have very limited info about this Amsterdam based Dutch Alternative Rock quartet, consisting of Leon Caren (lead singer/ guitarist), Tjeerd (assuming there's a method in the mentioning of their names, this would be the second guitarist...), Mila (...and goin' on the same premise, this would be the female bassist/ backing singer, family name of Van de Wall...), and Hajo (...and this would be the drummer).

They delivered their debut album Money Maker Me in 2004, and followed it up with the much lauded sophomore Noise Pop album Fun (the harsher sound of which gained the band comparisons to Nirvana by one reviewer) in 2006 (both albums issued through North-Holland based label Rara Records). The band then toured extensively both nationally and internationally, criss-crossing the USA, the UK, Russia, Spain and Germany, attending such renowned festivals like SXSW, CMJ and Popkomm in the process. Then a hiatus came with the band taking a break. Not exactly an inactive period for Caren, whom founded the now important music website Subbacultcha! and played in the bands The Moi Non Plus and Scram C. Baby. The break came to an end when, after 3 years of inactivity, BBC were invited to play at a Russian festival. So back to the rehearsal room the guys and girl went, and from there got a taste to start creating new material.

According to the info sheet we got along with our promo (download) copy of the album, BBC returned to the calmer sound of their debut recording. In the case of album opener “Walk In The Park” that gives the band a nice sound comparable to that of R.E.M. something which is found nowhere else on Out On The Beach. No, the nice angularities (nice lead guitar melodies, very present bass guitar) on the other 12 songs rather give the band a Pixies reminiscence, albeit with an overall less frantic lead singer (except in the short but powerful “Sunbathing”), and a less sultry female backing singer. Silly then, that the band decided to only post that stylistically different album opener as a taster to their new album at (www.) myspace.com/bluesbrothercastro, right!? Perhaps doubters among our readers will do better to either check whether the album is available through one of the trusted online sales websites (Amazon, iTunes, Napster,...) and listen to the 30-second samples (of all songs) they usually provide the possible buyers, or check the album at their local record store. Personally, I definitely like, and I even kinda feel tempted to check out this band's previous albums!

92/100

Tony.