Sabato 18 Mag 2013, 15:55

I came all the way from New York to Philadelphia to see Josh Ritter and The Felice Brothers even though I don't have an opinion either way about Josh Ritter.

I've been aware of The Felice Brothers since shortly after their inception and became a big supporter several years ago, when I even followed them on a previous tour; I've seen them through several touring drummers (they're on their third) and now several albums too. These days I try to catch their shows about every six months or so to see how they're maturing as a band, and have to say they've made major leaps in the past year alone.

Their latest drummer has a heavy-metal background, so his contributions to their older material can be interesting, but his style means major promise for their upcoming work – he brings a really solid, strong sound and the others are keeping up. Ian's guitar work has become even more intricate, Xmas is going heavier on the bass, and Farley rarely misses a note anymore. The band interplay is still as charming as ever, and they still play their hearts out onstage. Offstage, they really want to sell you a CD or a t-shirt as a souvenir to remember them, and if you introduce yourself they'll remember you too.

Although it's hard to imagine the Felice Brothers being 'famous', it really seems like their next record might get them there. From what I've seen, it won't change who they are as people – they are all brothers, by bond if not by blood, and they just want to do music to make their audience happy. I'll keep coming back as often as they'll let me.