The Brother Kite: Waiting for the Time to be Right (Clairecords)
release: September 12, 2006
styles: dreampop with some Pet Sounds
similar: Dirty on Purpose, Fleet Foxes, Brian Wilson, High Water Marks
rating: ****

I don't know if vocalist Patrick Boutwell is making a conscious effort to sound like Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson or he just naturally sounds that way. Either way, he's doing a fantastic job of it, while re-inventing the Brother Kite's ethereal rock. Waiting for the Time to be Right is a big step up in production and songwriting for the Rhode Island band, who on the debut were satisfactory as one of many early 90s shoegaze emulators. It's scary sometimes how much the vocals resemble Brian Wilson. The solid guitars and prominent percussion, however, keep the uplifting songs anchored in atmospheric modern pop. A few selections, such as "Hold Me Down," is less Beach Boys and more driving indie rock. Waiting remains consistent even through the eleventh track, which is bursting like a neo-psychedelic firework. -Kenyon