_{By Andy McFerren}

Brother. released their third album, Volume III (suggested full title: Volume III: Get Jiggy With It), on October 15, 2021. Now before you get any further into this review, go listen to Volume I and Volume II if you haven’t already. Because like Matthew McConaugnhey says, “Sometimes you gotta go back to actually move forward. I don’t mean going back to reminisce or chase ghosts. I mean going back to see where you came from. Where you’ve been, how you got there, see where you’re going. I know there are those who say you can’t go back. Yes you can. Just have to look in the right place.” 

Volume III in three words: (1) dreamy, (2) intergalactic, (3) groovy. Yes, my dears, it must be Doge Coin circa summer 2021 because when the needle drops on this album, you are traveling aboard a dreamy, intergalactic groove rocket to the moon. You are taken on a journey through time and space and by the end of it, you know exactly what it means to love and be loved by frontman and aspiring southern Baptist pastor Chuck Emery. 

[Editor’s note: Chuck is not an actual aspiring Baptist pastor but just go with it]

The songs transition from one to the next more smoothly than the Microsoft Media Player visualizer you used to stare at as you listened to the songs you just downloaded from LimeWire in the days before iTunes. The songs are one like a team is one, each with a unique but specific role, working toward a single, common goal: to blow your freaking mind. *Dick Vitale voice* National champs, baby! 

If I had to change one thing about this album, it would be for them to go out on a limb more for a song or two. The uniformity throughout is great but it’s seems like they played it a tiny bit conservatively.

However, the natural progression and maturity of the band from Volume I to Volume II and II to III is clear and welcoming. At the end of the day, Brother. is still Brother. and hopefully Volume IV will bring just as many grooves and bangers as III did.

Make sure to follow Brother. on Instagram and TikTok. Without further ado, check out my personal favorite song below, “We’re (Not) Alone.”