If you’ve been paying attention to our socials over the last year or so, you’ll have seen us mention Two Brothers a handful times. The Ojai, California trio’s ripping, genre-fluid sound routinely oscillates between haunting post-hardcore revisionism and melodic, even danceable math rock, but it’s the borderline ironic sense of depth Two Brothers seem to inject into the whole thing that helps them stand out. Long story short, we couldn’t be more excited to present a new single from the band today.
“Contrast,” the band’s first single from upcoming full length Star Thief, takes the band’s angular, acerbic mix of spiky riffage and emotional shrieks to the next level. It’s a bold move for a first single, but a clever one – Star Thief sees the band covering a lot of ground between their already established territories, and “Contrast” shows off the band at their most dynamic and aggressive yet.
Get your first taste below on the Two Brothers Bandcamp, and don’t forget to pre-order if you’re so inclined. We have a feeling a lot of you might be.
That’s a mammoth blubber guitar tone in the intro if we’ve ever heard one – well, maybe it’s a bass. Maybe it’s a distortion or a pitch pedal, who knows. Regardless, you can feel it in your chest, and towards the end, “Contrast” leans deep into golden era 2000’s post-hardcore, exemplified by bands like Norma Jean, Botch, and Fear Before. In fact, when we got our first preview of Star Thief, we noticed that a few moments in the album’s diverse collection of scenes just might check all the boxes for disillusioned fans of Exotic Animal Petting Zoo and their 2012 benchmark record Tree of Tongues. Although maybe not a direct influence, the legacy of that record’s unhinged transcendence can be felt here, and though the odds seem eternally low for an EAPZ reunion, we’re genuinely stoked to hear something new with that same sense of fervor and imagination when listening to Two Brothers.
Whatever sonic territory or narrative Two Brothers choose to follow, expectations will be high, but we have faith in the band’s convictions. Everything we’ve heard from them so far has been thoughtfully laid out, and “Contrast” is no exception. It serves as a warning shot for the unprepared, and a loud one at that.
Side note, from what we can tell, there are three members. But calling the band Two Brothers Plus an Additional Bro might not have had the same ring to it. If you like what you hear, and you probably do, keep an eye out for Star Thief, which is due to drop in just a few days. Also, special thanks to Christian Segerstrom of Mathcore Index for setting up today’s exclusive. Coming up, we’ve got another wad of goodness for you from bands like Solve for Why, Childspeak, and Delta Sleep soon enough. If you want to keep us hydrated/caffeinated/illuminated, smash that buy us a coffee button here. Either way, we’ll see you next time.