Audio By Carbonatix
Swapping out even one musician can significantly alter the approach of an entire band, as the Brandtson story demonstrates. These Clevelanders, led by guitarist/vocalist Myk Porter, made fairly standard modern rock until last year, when departing bassist John Sayre was replaced by Adam Boose, who supplements his bass abilities with synthesizer and laptop expertise. Shortly thereafter, members of the tweaked lineup began recording material for Hello, Control, a new CD on the Militia Group imprint that benefits immeasurably from Boose’s skill set. For instance, “Nobody Dances Anymore” belies its title thanks to an insinuating beat and some well-placed vocoder, while “Friend or Faux?” finds an effective middle ground between four-on-the-floor thumping and guitar-driven emotiveness. The most rigid fans may balk at the alterations, but those capable of keeping their mind and ears open at the same time will conclude that Boose’s contributions freshen up the combo’s style considerably. For Brandtson, which will share the Bluebird stage with Lovedrug and the Myriad, change has been good.
