The Singles Bar: Brother Not Brother parody their own craft with ‘Jack Herer’

Welcome to The Singles Bar, a review series focused on new single and song releases.

Art operates several different ways. It can be like holding up a looking glass to see our reflection better, a mode to hit refresh on a tired system or as a vehicle of escapism, hiding away from the world and its ruin. Regardless of its overlying vitality in our lives, it shouldn’t be taken so seriously as to lose all its innately-cathartic tendency. Portland folk-rock band Brother Not Brother take it to extremes with their self-parody song called “Jack Herer,” which clings to their usual hellbent aesthetics but with hyper self-awareness embedded in the lyrics. “Life’s a comedy / I guess that I should laugh at my privileged tragedies,” frontman Andrew Harrison spouts off, letting his guards down and his tongue to wag in the wind.

Originally more folk in nature (then-dubbed Hammerhead), a trio rounded out with Tyler Robson and Sean Faix soon uncovered their natural grit-rock sensibilities. “The pouring rain / A broken brain / My certain death / These are things that I’m afraid of,” wrangles Harrison, whose phrasing is peppered with just enough cunning to deflate its otherwise sobering weight. Through unhinging such meaty topics of soul-seeking and salvation, framed around a dizzying arena style, the band tightens the screws on poking fun at their own craft. “I wrote this song to essentially parody my own song writing. I often write as a tool to bring some of my inner dark sides into the light so they can hopefully wither away,” says Harrison.

“These lyrics are the most heavy handed version of that and really come from a place of not wanting to take myself too seriously, not wanting others to take me too seriously, but ultimately falling short of that for myself and feeling slighted when others don’t take me seriously, even when I asked them not to. Musically, it’s full of riffs and solos, which is just another parody of my writing style,” he continues, notching up its overall mood and character. But even in plotting such cheeky antics, “Jack Herer” remains a token of their charm.

“Jack Herer” is the first of many impending single drops this year.

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