Mention the magic words “sibling harmonies” while describing a music act and you’ll be sure to boost the expectations of listeners. Well, Halifax, Nova Scotia-based brothers Dave and Don Carroll, a.k.a. the Sons of Maxwell, don’t disappoint. Their vocal interplay forms the melodic centerpiece of their classic roots-pop sound, and on their seventh release, Sunday Morning, they brew up a fresh blend of tight two-part harmonies that would likely score a supportive nod from the Everly Brothers.
Dave serves as the principal songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist, and displays a knack for sharply focused song structures that lend uncluttered immediacy to the sound. The songs come across as impeccably groomed without being needlessly flashy, and leave ample room for hanging hooky turns and choruses.
The record’s melodic sensibility is frequently flavored with vintage strokes — Byrds-y guitar jangle, emotive pedal steel, simmering organ — which the Carrolls use to explore a broad range of styles, from the upbeat roots rock drive of “Live in the Movies” and “The Best Things” to the country-ish breakup ballad, “Whole Lot Lighter”.
“Give Me a Reason” is a throwback to ’70s AM radio. “I’m Willing”, co-written with Grammy-winning tunesmith Jon Vezner, slips into the easy groove of a timeless soft-rock hit, while “Games People Play” borrows the mad guitar and mandolin skills of session ace and Americana singer-songwriter Darrell Scott to churn out an uptempo current of strummed and picked acoustic parts. They even break out the polyrhythms and festive island harmonies on the Caribbean dance-pop flavored “Like You Do”. It’s a testament to the range of the Carrolls’ songwriting that one could imagine these guys equally at ease whether performing at a folk festival, rock club, Nashville honky tonk, or Irish pub.
Lyrically, Sunday Morning’s songs tap familiar themes of relationship comings and goings, life’s ever-changing perspectives, and the slow realization that we never really manage to figure it all out. Peppered with a mix of wry and poignant observations, Dave’s point-of-view smoothly connects the personal with the universal.
The Carroll brothers don’t need rock ‘n’ roll swagger or emo angst to make a statement. Their brotherly pipes say it all.
— Jim Kirlin
Mention the magic words “sibling harmonies” while describing a music act and you’ll be sure to boost the expectations of listeners. Well, Halifax, Nova Scotia-based brothers Dave and Don Carroll, a.k.a. the Sons of Maxwell, don’t disappoint. Their vocal interplay forms the melodic centerpiece of their classic roots-pop sound, and on their seventh release, Sunday Morning, they brew up a fresh blend of tight two-part harmonies that would likely score a supportive nod from the Everly Brothers.