(Gunshy/Fontana North) There’s nothing nostalgic about Ottawa’s The Cooper Brothers or their new opus, “Southbound”. Yes they were under wraps for about 20 years following the death of lead vocalist Terry King, but the Coopers made a tentative step forward in 2010 with the release of “In From The Cold” and now plan a fully-fledged return to the spotlight with an excellent new release “Southbound”. Led by Dick and Brian Cooper, the band have delivered an 11-song set which combines solid country rock the early Eagles would be proud of with a dash of humour, as featured in `Southbound’ – their ode to Snowbirds and Five Point Five, the nonchalance of the media dealing with earthquakes. Brian Cooper is a top notch singer, brother Richard is a prolific songwriter who is equally adept at penning emotional compositions like `Hammer To Fall’ and `Bridges’ as well solid autobiographical rockers like `Club Shangri-La’. Unlike rock music, Canada has not been kind nostalgically to country rock bands yet The Coopers should be taken at face value. They are all top notch musicians, excellent singers and in Dick Cooper, they have a creative songwriter. Recorded at The Tragically Hip’s Bath Studios by Blue Rodeo producer Colin Cripps, `Southbound’ is a top notch release deserved of serious consumer and media attention.
Download: Southbound, Maybe This Is The Night, Bridges
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