A hike in the mountains, a drink of cool water, a perfect star-filled night--these experiences all have a way of refreshing your body and your soul. They are honest, real, uncompromised.

Some music is like that, too. There are some musicians who still manage to remain artists, not mercenaries. In a time when popular music has been reduced to currency in a corporate market, they live for their muse, not for their profit margin.

The Richardson brothers, Hamish and Angus, are just such artists. With their band, Brother, they have been making their own brand of highland rock for the better part of a decade now, and taking it to thousands of appreciative fans around the world, particularly here in the South Land where they always play to houses packed with adoring fans. Their music is a reflection of they themselves: gentle, intelligent, sincere. These songs aren't calculated commercial products, they are heartfelt anthems. These boys write true love songs--love for a woman, love of nature, love of life.

Their latest album In Your Backyard exudes this same simple honesty throughout its eleven wonderfully crafted tunes. They incorporate the instruments of their worldy Scottish/Australian roots, the bagpipes and didgeridoo, to surprisingly poignant effect. Though instruments with distinctive signatures, they are never allowed to overwhelm a song. Instead, they are used as accents, and mood-creators, mesmerizing the listener with their almost ethereal quality. The lyrics are unpretentious and genuine, whether wooing a lover or praising a sunrise. The songs are sung with skill and effortless beauty, rich with elegant harmonies. Throughout this album (and the body of their catalogue) you will find real songs; which is not always easy to do these days.

Songs like "Sooner or Later" and "Stand Beside Me" move with a lazy, dreamy joy. "No Way Round" and "Fly Away" are bittersweet melancholia. Then the mood will switch to an upbeat punch with tunes like "In The Water" and "Midnight Sun," which feature clever guitar, flute, and vocal motifs that will actually make you smile. The flavors vary from the spicy, almost-Latin "Mean to Me," to an all-out highland romp in "thetimeisnow" which closes the album. All in all, a satisfying, and sensual mix--a real pleasure. You owe it to yourself to give it a taste.

This is Brother's most recent album, yet it holds a 1998 copyright. That's due to the fact that the members of the band were involved in a very serious accident while touring the album in early '99, which left them hospitalized until just recently (see TSLA: iss1vol2 2000). The LA music scene, and indeed the worldwide network of Brother fans are fortunate, and grateful to still have the boys with us. We are glad to see they are back at it, and better than ever. We look forward to more great work from this excellent band. --ed.