The Brown Book are an instrumental rock group that formed circa 2004 around Boston, Massachusetts- their current line-up consists of Ryan Lavery on drums, John O’Malley and Mike Kvidera on guitar, and Todd Bowser on bass. With Keith Souza as engineer (Battles, Lightning Bolt, Neptune) and Alan Douches (Animal Collective, Don Caballero) doing the mastering, Thirty Nothing is quite an epic journey through noise, experimental, and melodic rock.

“Deer Heads” is an introduction to the upcoming experience, with start-stop instrumentation, and a musical tightness and harmony between the four that lasts the whole album through. “Fat Birds” and “Snuff King” are excellent jams that could rub shoulders with the sounds of the best noise rock groups (Lightning Bolt and Liars, in my book). “Family Outing” spreads its sound through distortion, creeping along until the finish, picking up in intensity along the way. “Jumping the Shark”, though with a lighter vibe perhaps than the other album tracks, retains the sonic bite that appears to be a Brown Book trademark- these guys don’t play it safe. “Half Bald” is my favourite of the bunch, with its frenetic drum intro and synchronized guitars. Closer “There is a Boy Looking at Us” ends the album on a positive, albeit crunchy, note, making Thirty Nothing a well-rounded, satisfying release.

Stream The Brown Book - Thirty Nothing here!

The Brown Book - Official Site | on MySpace