Brillig “The Red Coats”
Australian band Brillig’s debut CD, The Red Coats, is a refreshing, eclectic mix of acoustic styles that has been termed alt folk. Ironically, the band has been part of the European goth scene, due in part to the darker themes within their original songs and perhaps because they wear black—including a top hat. Here in the US, however, this band would not even be considered part of that genre—and in fact aren’t exactly alt folk, either, though folk ballads have been recorded about murders, drownings, and sunken ships for centuries.
Brillig is part of a new wave of acoustic and rock musicians (e.g. Cloud Cult, Rock Plaza Central) who are crafting songs that explore deeper—and, yes, darker—themes, using whatever instrumentation is at hand. For many of their songs, the banjo could be replaced with a distorted guitar or even a bouzouki, and the feel of the song would be different—as also would its placement within a genre.
The heart of Brillig is principal songwriters Matt Swayne and Elizabeth Reid. This duo also performs as Brillig in some circumstances and even will expand to a three piece or a full four piece band when they bring in Denni Meredith on bass and Ben Mackin on drums. Swayne and Reid share lead vocal duties, backing each other vocally as the song demands. They also are skilled multi-instrumentalists. Swayne plays guitar, banjo, and harmonica, while Reid adds viola, autoharp, piano accordion, and ukulele. Each choice, though, is made with deliberateness, fully supporting the work.
The initial cut, “Death at Sea,” sets the tone for the album. It is a gloomy tale of a ship lost at sea, done up with banjo, autoharp, accordion, bass, and Swayne’s vocals, but it is more than just a sea shanty. The title track, “The Red Coats,” is a sad tale of jealousy that doesn’t end with the death of one of two good friends but leads to a feud between two families.
“Bird from the Ashes” is an alt-rock tune with bass, banjo, drums, and a touch of autoharp that shine behind Reid’s crystal voice. This is one song that could be nudged into other genres by replacing the banjo. But here, it becomes uniquely Brillig.
The album is filled with many other gems. “Springtime in Kyoto,” another acoustic rock tune whose vocals are well supported by drums and guitar is enhanced by Reid’s viola, which is bowed as well as plucked. The plucked viola in the latter part of the track sounds much like a Japanese koto.
“Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder,” though bearing a clever pun in the title, is a dark look at the use of absinthe as a drug and how it was prepared. It mixes spoken word with accordion, drums, and guitar over Swayne’s vocals. Interestingly, the ban on absinthe has been lifted in the US recently because the amount of the controlled substance has been reduced and regulated. It is claimed to be no more than the alcohol within the drink.
All twelve songs on the album are written by Swayne and Reid, except for “Phantom’s Theme,” which was written by Paul Williams for his 1974 release, Phantom of the Paradise. It is redressed in autoharp, drums, and guitar and Swayne’s perceptive vocals.
The best cut of the lot, though, is “The Old Captain.” It is a beautiful tribute to a dead sea captain that is recorded as if it were being sung in a tavern-like setting. Accordion, guitar, and drums support Reid’s lovely voice. The rendering comes across as a Russian cabaret song where one just might have heard that song in a time long ago.
Brillig, like the Lewis Carroll poem, “The Jaberwocky,” from which it takes its name, may appear to be indecipherable. But unlike the mystery within that famous poem, Brillig is fathomable, though the listener may need to dive deep to sound them out. Their unique blend of instruments and vocals and their choice of material mark Brillig as an emerging band to watch.
Review by Janie Franz
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