The Cash Brothers - A Brand New Night - 2003

American audiences got their first taste of the Cash Brothers with How Was Tomorrow in 2001. Andrew and Peter Cash combine acoustic and electric guitars, smart songwriting, and their distinct harmony on catchy, if depressing, songs like "Nebraska." On 2003's A Brand New Night, the brothers add a new touch here and there, but mostly echo their earlier album. In this sense, the Cash Brothers seem to be in a holding pattern, tentatively reaching out for new things, but mostly sticking to the familiar. The guitar work and overlapping harmony on tracks like "Shadow of Doubt" and "You're It" capture an appealing groove, and both "Fire Dying" and the title track are nice low-key ballads, taken at dreamy pace. The album gets more intriguing, though, when the brothers stretch out a bit on "Give Me Your Hips." Here, they trade their usual down-and-out lyrics for a scornful, funky track with a heavy dose of passion. Unfortunately, the song is an anomaly. While A Brand New Night is solid enough, there's nothing quite as captivating as "Guitar Strings and Foolish Things," or "Dream Awake," from How Was Tomorrow. Fans of the first album, though, will be glad to have a new Cash Brothers's album in the stores.