The Brandos - Over the Border Reviews

THE BRANDOS

OVER THE BORDER - Album Reviews

OLDIE MARKT (Germany), March 2007 - Album of the Month

With their first album since 1998 The Brandos present their best production ever.

For a band, it is of inestimable value, if they possess a sound that makes them immediately stand out from the crowd. The Brandos from New York have exactly that. As soon as the voice of David Kincaid - which reminds you of John Fogerty’s - is heard, combined with the tasty riffs of his guitar, it appears - the feeling, familiar from this band’s studio productions, containing high-energy rock and the twang of country music. Kincaid, with bass player Ernie Mendillo, at this point the only two main members of the band, used the break to write a batch of exquisite new songs which lay exactly on the line between hard rock and a sound reminiscent of southern rock. Whether his voice, the bone-dry riffs, the detailed, tasty solos or the tight work of the rythm section, which includes ex- Free/Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke on one track as well, Over The Border is a CD that brings the sound of Credence Clearwater Revival into the 21 century because it rocks just as unpretentiously as the works of Fogerty & Co. There are also songs this time that remind one of Brandos’ classics like “Gettysburg”: the title song for example, or Walking Home, Triangle Fire, etc., etc. If you like rock, you will love the album because it connects the clasic sound of the 60’s and 70’s with the inspiration of today along with strong song-writing ideas. The acoustic version of Guantanamera at the end seems like an ironic commentary. –MVR

STEREO (Germany), March 2007- Country/Folk Rock
The Brandos - Over the Border, Blue Rose BLUDP 0411 (also available as LP). 44:16

After so many years solo, it dawned Dave Kincaid that it would be much better for him to remain identified with his old band The Brandos. Songs in which he is dreaming himself away in beautiful Mexico (please note: such as driving a small pickup truck across the border like Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw at the end of Peckinpah’s “The Getaway) are less convincing than the story of the fate of irish immigrants at the beginning of the 20 century in America (“The Triangle Fire”). The rocking arrangement of the irish traditional folk song “The New York Volunteer” worked out really well.

GOODTIMES (Germany), Feb.-March 2007
The Brandos - Over the Border

From 1987 to 1998 this great US hard-rock band released numerous good to excellent albums. After that, with the exception of a compilation, there wasn’t anything new. This makes it all the more more pleasant that the band, with singer, guitarist and song writer Dave Kincaid has reported back with a new album, still with emphases on all the old strengths: compact song writing, tight and clear arrangements, powerful vocals in the charismatic John-Fogerty-Style, tasty guitar sounds, and carefully dosed trips into celtic folk. All that leads to strong songs like “Walking Home”, “The Triangle Fire” and “Let It Go.” And they succeeded very well with the adaptation of Dino Valenti’s great work “Dino’s Song”. But this time the addition of latin-american influences on two songs is a special musical treat: the title song serves up tex-mex elements which could also have come from Ry Cooder, and the cuban homeland couldn’t deny the closing hymn “Guantanamera.”

EL PAÍS (Spain), Feb. 2, 2007
The Brandos - Over the Border, ***
Blue Rose/Dock

The New York band of Dave Kincaid returns with energetic renewals and a few other surprises. Their music continues to be visceral rock with a touch of tex-mex and a pinch of the smell of cattle, but nobody expected they would pull three surprising covers from up their sleeves: one from garage-rockers The Sonics, another from acid-rockers Quicksilver Messenger Service, and a third being Guantanamera! Put on your mariachi outfit and give it a listen. –J.F.L.

UNCUT (UK) Feb. 2007
Contemplating sunset behind clumps of cactus on the sleeve of Over the Border (Blue Rose ***), New York’s The Brandos offer their own Cosmic American Music. Marked by Dave Kincaid’s rasp, they rock hard at times, but the real tour de force is “The Triangle Fire.” From Byrdsy intro, it quickens into an electric gypsy reel that’s pure adrenalin. They also cover The Sonics’ “He’s Waiting.”

COOLIBRI (Germany), Jan. 2007
The Brandos - Over the Border

It’s been since 1986 that Dave Kincaid and his Brandos have been playing together. Now, three years after their last album, they’ve released a new one with the usual mix of rock and folk and Kincaid’s trade mark powerful rock voice that is so admired by their fans. A steadfast rock in the mainstream breaker.

Other notable press:

Guitar Magazine (Germany), Feb. 2007

Rolling Stone (Germany), Jan. 2007

Oor Magazine (Netherlands) June 1996

Rolling Stone (Germany), June 1995

Music Express (Germany), Nov. 1988

Playboy (US) May 1988

Mademoiselle (US) Feb. 1988

Rolling Stone (US) Nov. 1987

Time Magazine (US) Oct. 1987