Bern and the Brights have opened for acclaimed acts such as Butch Walker, Rhett Miller, and Living Colour, and in July they released a four song EP entitled, "Swing Shift Maisies". The "Bern" of the Brights is Bernadette Malavarca, and she has a great singing voice with the power to poke your emotions. The songs on this EP are ambitious and often have a lot going on - some of it works but some of it distracts. The inclusion of dramatic strings takes the songs to new heights, augmenting the emotive voice of Malavarca. This synergy is best experienced with the terrific moody opener, "Boo" and to a lesser extent in the upbeat "Sangria Peaches". What is missing here are some really good hooks - with exception of "Boo", I'm afraid I did not find myself wanting to come back to any other track. There is a lot of promise here and I look forward to hearing this group develop. Check them out if you like R.E.M., Dave Matthews Band, or Jeff Buckley.
Bern and the Brights on MySpace. Official site.
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