What is in the water in Philly? I can’t get enough
of all the solid bans that are coming out of the City of Brother Love. One band
that caught my interest after one listen of their song “Bower Birds’ is the Great Enough. The Great Enough causess a stir. Watching them is like being part
of their party. This exuberant quartet consists of Bright Kelly, lead singer,
guitar. Brian DiBiagio, lead guitarist.
Jon Hoff, drums and Robby Crane, bass and keys.
The Great Enough instantly impresses
as a feisty four piece. Enigmatic front
man Kelly admits his raspy, voice is not the product of whiskey and cigarettes
but simply “puberty” He claims to “run with what he is got” Trust me he is not
just another voice on the radio, which is one of their well written songs. This is a driven band that hunkers down and
frequently practices 3 – 4 hours at a time to achieve their self-described
“Soulalternative’ sound. The band intentionally strips away some fo the
expectations of the genre they belong to, by allowing Kelly’s raspy soulful Wilson
Pickettish instincts to run wild or by elevating the lyrics. The Great Enough want
to “move people” Kelly claims “During rehearsals our drummer John serves as our
drill sergeant and we try to create a constructive listening environment where
push each other toward perfection. We don’t just jam – we’re a really driven
band” The band is inspired by a plethora
of genres including vintage rock, late 90s and 90s alt, prog rock and vintage
soul They also appreciate modern bands
such as the Killers, Young the Giant. They have been digging into Judah and The
Lion,a band for which The Great Enough
had the thrill of acting as an opening act.
Lyrically they are a step
above some of the other bands rocking in the free world lately. Attribute this
to Kelly a self-proclaimed “word nerd” who devours books in his spare time. In fact,
the band’s name comes from a line out of one of his favorite novels, The Society of Others, by
William Nicholson. Kelly says having it being the great enough is as if "You
had a hard day at work and maybe you stop off to grab a drink. Then there is that
moment when you see your friends and they are happy to see you and all the drama of life goes away"
He says he is “a ginger manic
up on stage belting out soul songs cleverly disguised as alt rock or power pop
anthems.” He leans into a Freddie Mercury and most recently Brian Fallon vibe creating
and “unapologetic brashness” about the way he delivers a song. The boys in the
band clearly elevate his vision pouring their hearts out over rippling guitar,
tasty bass lines and wide open percussion which includes rhythmic bongo
playing.
Their album Born dropped in July, 2018. The elegant yet popping tune "Bower Birds' exemplifies the
band’s lyrical abilities. I hear a bit of Scott Hutchinson in his smoky vocal
delivery. Bowerbirds "are renowned for
their unique courtship behavior, where males build a structure[P1] and decorate it with sticks and brightly colored
objects in an attempt to attract a mate." He sings “She said said you
we are not Bower Birds/ You need not bring me a thing/ If you love me
sing" A gorgeous lofty song that hits your ears smoothly. He
claims it gets fans to get into a hoedown mode. Listen you will be clapping and
dancing in no time.
A band favorite to perform “Die
Young” plays on his gruff, gravely vocal abilities. He is in top soul rocker form on this track.
Raunchy in the best possible way, the song will get under your skin. Highlights of this song include very angled
guitar riffs. Hoff keeps solid time on his kit. "I set fires' Die Young /Cause
living is easy.” This song plays out like a soulful anthem..
“Its Inexplicable”
also has an anthem theme. “And you know the pen is mighty/ It’s inexplicable
why we try again/We try again!” A skintight buzzing guitar keeps the pace. The
searing drum beat compliment to his voice but and keeps that tempo
driving. This is a song again that will
stick in your brain. His soul alternative ideas resonate through your auditory
system while settling into your brain. Makes you want to get up and fist pump.
YES
Caught a Youtube
video of the band doing a cover of the ChVrches “Get Out’. I highly recommend
you watch to check out the bold magnetism Kelly exudes as front man. His band
mates are comfortable rocking their instruments. Hoff bangs the bongs to excellent effect. DiBlasio rocks his axe with a tight picking
style. Crane is comfortably loose on the bass.
They all look very polished for such a young
band. The bro fist pumps at the end of the set confirm their solidarity.
The Great Enough are
getting local play on 88.5 and 104.5.The
Great Enough is set for a for a breakout that I do believe they are poised and
ready to undertake.
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