It seems like just yesterday that Elder Brother released their excellent debut album ‘Heavy Head’, and now, less than a year later Kevin Geyer and Dan Rose have surprised everyone with a new concept EP of sorts. Concept records often range from simple love stories (Dashboard Confessional) to time travel during Tzarist Russia (Mastodon) and everything in between, which is where ‘Wish You Were Here’ falls. The EP consists of four tracks recorded by Elder Brother all with the title ‘Wish You Were Here’, with one being an original song and three being covers of songs with the same name. Perhaps not the most “out there” concept for a record, but an interesting one to say the least.
Starting with their original track by the name of ‘Wish You Were Here’, which picks up where ‘Heavy Head’ left off. It’s a warm and welcoming ode lost love, full of catchy hooks and swooning harmonies. It seems that the duo have become more adept at working with each other and shows a real progression from ‘Heavy Head’. This leads into the first of the three covers, with the fairly obvious choice of The Get Up Kids track ‘Wish You Were Here’ from their transitional album ‘On A Wire’. Probably the closest of the covers to Elder Brothers melody-driven rock, but whereas the original was one of The Get Up Kids more reserved tracks, they have made it sound bigger and brighter for this EP.
They then take on ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Ryan Adams from his ‘Rock N Roll’ album, and in a similar fashion to the previous cover, they add their sound to the song, almost making it their own while keeping the spirit of Adams original alive. The last in the trio of ‘Wish You Were Here’ covers is undoubtedly the most risky choice that Elder Brother could take and any band that attempts to cover Pink Floyd is going to face a considerable amount of pressure. However they certainly give it their best shot, and although perhaps not as expansive sounding as the iconic original the musicianship is flawless as they tackle David Gilmour’s signature guitar playing.
The standout track is Elder Brother’s original ‘Wish You Were Here’, which is a testament to how well Geyer and Rose work together, but the covers they have done are an enjoyable listen none the less and demonstrate the diversity in their influences. To some, the idea of these songs being covered is probably sacrilege and will surely turn their noses up, but those unfamiliar will be enamoured with the lush texture of Elder Brothers sound that has been employed to the songs. They have definitely been brave on ‘Wish You Were Here’ which should be applauded, as they have delivered a solid EP that will hopefully be a glimpse into Elder Brothers future.
GLEN BUSHELL