The Brother Stereo - "Time in History"
Photo by Emily Joy Ashman Hailing from Boston, The Brother Stereo have a sound that is oddly nostalgic despite not quite sounding like any specific time. The timeframe I can tie "Time in History" down to the best would be around 1996 and 1997, as alt-rock started going a little more mainstream. The song has a classic feel, although it does sound like a recording from 2024. It's almost like songwriter Michael Robert Kelly (who, as a Boston music journalist I'm legally required to mention is the brother of Dropkick Murphys' drummer Matt Kelly, and is also the band's substitute touring bass, banjo, and mandolin player) time travelled back to the 90's to blow everyone's mind with what the future sounded like. It's an engrossing power ballad with flashes of psychedelia, and it has one of the best and most intense guitar solos to come out of Boston this century. To be completely honest, I didn't think I was going to enjoy "Time in History" ...