Learning from your influences, defining a sound all your own, and then rediscovering those influences is a continuous cyclical process for a young band. This constant pattern is musically paralleled throughout the insomnia based concept album, A Wonderful Day by Brothers Past. As the character battles night villains, monsters and mirror images of himself while unable to sleep, the band also fades in and out of both their own voice and those they have gained musical inspiration from, whether consciously or otherwise, over their early developmental years. As the ambitious album travels from one restless movement to another, Brothers Past confidently experiments with innovative territories and simultaneously revisits familiar spaces.
Decompression from the day does not come easy, as the opening track "Turn and Toss" screams with industrial force, subtly foreshadowing the musical journey that lay ahead. Keyboardist Tom McKee’s seamless transitions lead into the title track, which subsequently is the highlight of the album, and the theme is threaded throughout each song, inevitably reprising upon conclusion. With lightly strained, Billy Corgan ranged vocals, over gentle acoustic lines of guitarist Tom Hamilton, "A Wonderful Day" is an impressive piece on it’s own, but only strengthened when McKee continues his thematic work into "The Ceiling." As the emotional roller coaster ensues, the band rises in intensity and the lyrics, heavy on desperation, attempt to keep pace. Where there is occasional effective imagery, "is it the ceiling or are you just confined by what you are feeling?" there is also an abundance of clichéd teen angst such as "everyone sees me, but nobody knows me."
From here, as the character moves into the dead of night, the songs become more complex, but while they are certainly contemporary techno-rock, they also reflect many staple 80s rock veins running throughout. "The Ceiling (Part II)" revolves around Casio synthesis and vocal work similar to Corey Hart’s 1983 hit "Sunglasses At Night," and "Night Villians" peeks into Sade’s classic "Smooth Operator." Although "Tired Sigh" is a move ahead from tired techno, and features Pink Floyd fading vocals, it could easily be spun on a disco cruise ship without anyone knowing it was a new release. Perhaps that’s a true testament to their abilities as songwriters, for as the album comes to a close, the dark and dreary "Bottle Cap" pounds it’s way out to the reprise, and we reach another "Wonderful Day."
