Damien Jurado
Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son
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Folk
Damien Jurado is known for making unique records, and that trend continues on Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son. In his Johnny Cash-like voice, Jurado croons about the process of finding oneself. The music on the album emulates the reflective nature of the lyrics. Somber guitars complement the introspective nature of Jurado’s loneliness while upbeat drums produce a lighter mood.
With instruments ranging from electro-pop synthesizers on “Magic Number” to the folksy acoustic guitars on “Silver Katherine,” Jurado is able to move seamlessly through a multitude of genres without giving the listener whiplash. The marquee song comes in the form of a Santana-inspired psychedelic rock number entitled “Silver Timothy.” With sounds ranging from Latin percussion sections to an outer space-like synthesizer, Jurado takes the listener on a sonic journey.
Unfortunately, in songs like “Jericho Road” and “Return to Maraqopa,” Jurado’s voice is overshadowed by the clamor of the instruments and the production effects used on his voice. This album is meant to tell a story and because the listener is rendered near-deaf to his voice in some songs, portions of the story go unheard. And while the instrumentation keeps the listener intrigued, Jurado’s vocals have a depth to them that shouldn’t go unnoticed or overpowered.
By evoking many different styles and instrumentations on Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son, Jurado mixes his folk roots with a variety of other genres, resulting in a lush, fluid and satisfying album.
— Will Jackson
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