“Small Town Crew“
from the album Structure & Cosmetics
2007
While I certainly enjoy listening to the Brunettes, I wouldn’t want them in my coffee — they’re a tad too sweet for my morning beverage tastes. They’ve also got a sinister aftertaste under their sugary exterior — also great for songwriting, bad for my coffee. The complexities of Structure & Cosmetics rely on their abilities to mask themselves. At first listen, it’s all sweet pop ditties and handclaps, but it soon dawns on you that these songs are brilliantly experimental works of art more akin to Modern Lovers than early Beach boys. Sure, the Brunettes are built around catchy synthesizer tunes and sunny hooks, but those same songs stop and stutter, using space and sound to create an ethereal effect before (seemingly) bringing it back to basics. The vocal dichotomy between Heather Mansfield’s sweet, angelic whisper and Jonathan Bree’s coy, aloof crooning makes for some sincere and romantic harmonies. Track after track, the Brunettes combine playful with glorious and romance with deception. You have to listen to it at least twice.