Brazos frontman Martin Crane exudes a sort of frenetic calmness, a relaxed nervousness. As he quickly strums his acoustic guitar, his feet arch up onto their toes, tapping in swift alteration, but his eyes close in introspection and his head sways slowly. I have a suspicion that it’s this sort of dichotomous energy that creates the beauty of Brazos’ songs, which drift fluidly with flowing keys and guitars but possess driving, punchy rhythms.
Now a NYC band, Brazos originally formed in Austin, and since their resurgence in the past year, I commonly hear Austinites discuss how much they love and miss the band. The almost full room at Holy Mountain on a cold Wednesday night indicated just how missed the band has been. Playing most of the songs from their recent Dead Oceans effort Saltwater (which appeared on both our most listened to and favorite albums lists for 2013), the band held the crowd enrapt. During a particularly soft performance of “Long Shot,” Brazos quieted the Austin crowd, and that’s not an easy feat.
We were also treated to a new song that utilized a busy beat and quick, swirling guitar strums. The song is a promise of solid material in Brazos’ future. Indeed, Crane confirmed to me after the set that the trio is at work on new material, commenting that they are several songs deep at this point. This is a heartening fact in light of Brazos’ three silent years between their first and second albums. With any luck, the world will be treated to a more regular release schedule from this solid indie-pop outfit. Until then, check out Saltwater if you missed it, and see the band live when you get the chance.
All photos © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
