JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD - We Are The Champions

"I've been thinking about your mom." The first line of JEFF the Brotherhood's new LP We Are The Champions pretty much sums up what you're going to get from this album: light-hearted, straight-ahead tunes from a couple of awkward young men. Crushing on your friend's mom is just one of many teenage situations Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall sing about on this album. There are also songs about having a crush on the girl of your dreams ("Cool Out"), drinking too much on the weekend ("Bummer"), wanting a space to call your own (so you can display your records, obviously, on "Mellow Out"), and many other common slacker-type problems. It's very much a continuation of their last record, 2009's Heavy Days, so if you liked that one you'll be happy with this one too. However, if you're new to the band or couldn't get into their last album, it's worth giving We Are The Champions a try. They've cut out some of the jamming and increased the poppiness tenfold, all without compromising their trademark sound. In fact, it's been brought up while spinning it at the shop (and in other reviews) that, both vocally and musically, some of these cuts could be lost Pinkerton-era Weezer B-sides (think "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly"). So, if you're part of the overwhelming majority that fell out of love with Weezer around the turn of the century, make sure to pick up JEFF the Brotherhood's We Are The Champions.