An astonishing alt-country debut album from the Boston-based soon-to-be super group of contemporary Americana.
Selected by Country Artist of the Year at Boston’s 2024 Music Awards, the music collective known as Other Brother Darryl have issued their debut album, and it’s a stunner. Entitled Roll Shine Roll, it contains twelve songs dedicated to brotherhood and resilience; it is dedicated to their late bandmate and close friend Dave Mirabella, who passed away unexpectedly in April of 2022.
This is not your typical debut album from artists virtually unknown, headlined by two or three strong numbers and complemented by what’s best described as filler. Roll Shine Roll is as deep as Music From Big Pink by The Band, and as affecting in scope as the best material from those most promising artists from a decade or more ago: Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson, along with the glorious singing of Ben Bridwell from Band of Horses. These artists have gone on to make several great albums, and Other Brother Darryl is destined to follow in those footsteps: they are that good.
Their harmonies are superb; the instrumentation authentic and effective through understatement, and the songwriting is first-rate. Recorded at band member Dan Nicklin’s Henley Row Studios, the sonics are of high quality. The songs are reminiscent of both Wilco and The Jayhawks, influences acknowledged and treasured by the group members.
Other Brother Darryl is a collective of seven talented local Boston musicians: Dan Nicklin (vocals, harmonica, percussion), Nate Leavitt (vocals, acoustic guitar), Dan Cederholm (drums), Chad Raleigh (multi-instrumentalist), Derek Feeney (acoustic guitar), Dave Lieb (keyboard, vocals), Jim Collins (bass, vocals) and Dave Mirabella (spiritual guidance). They met at a now defunct club back in 2012, each with a different ongoing project, and finally came together in 2019.
Half a dozen singles have already been released from this album, each with resounding success. Debut single, “Until I Do,” b/w “The Ballad of Joni & Graham.” New single “Drive” arrived a year later, followed by February 2024’s “Gypsy Girl”; In May of 2024 the Brothers were finalists in the Rock and Roll Rumble. A month later they released a mini-documentary about the origins of the band. Following up with their fourth single in August, “Sometimes.” October of 2024 delivered the single, “The Ballad of Joni & Graham.” Their sixth single ‘Watch the Trees’ is available now.
Highly recommended, and surely to be a contender for Album of the Year 2025.
