Brothers & Sisters – Self-Titled

The moniker of this Austin-based country-rock ensemble refers to siblings Will and Lily Courtney — respectively, the group’s lead singer-songwriter and harmony singer-tambourinist as well as the “extended family” of musicians listed on the CD jacket (which includes Conrad Keely of …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead). This communal vibe contributes to the warm gather-round-the-fire feel of Brothers & Sisters’ low-key debut. Most of the songs deal with the quiet sorrows of growing older with too much time and not enough money (“Purple mountains don’t mean nothin’ unless you’re on top”). The gorgeous gem “One Night” couches a plea for nookie into a dappled Byrdsian chime and an irresistible chorus. The tear-in-beer ballad “Old Love Letters” could be a lost track from Grievous Angel. There is nothing pretentious or even ostentatious about this music; one can almost smell the tobacco and old Lone Star beer cans spiked with salt and lime.