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The Constantines: Advertising ‘Brotherhood”
To watch the second season of the Showtime series “Brotherhood,” a tale of two brothers on opposite sides of the law in working-class Rhode Island (yes, it’s based very loosely on Whitey and Ray Bulger), you’d think the show’s theme would be, say, the Dropkick Murphys or something. (You might recall the Murphys’ amazing screamer “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” put to mind-blowingly great use in “the Departed.”) The second season starts Sunday on Showtime.
But no, they go with a minute of the Constantines’ tense, rousing anthem “Draw Us Lines.” The Canadian band has always had two things in its favor -a serious working class vibe (as in they sing about work and its discontents) and an utterly massive sound. Big drums, big vision. And they do fake Springsteen better than the Hold Steady.
Actually, they do fake Springsteen differently. The Constantines’ chords are tougher, the vocals are grittier. Springsteen always sound like he was trying so hard. These fellows sound genuinely hacked off at the world. It’s the sound of the tension and guilt boiling under the surface of everything and everyone in Brotherhood, from the implied violence in Michael Caffee to the knot of guilt and rage that fuels Tommy. It sent me back to the Constantines to see what else I missed. Nice job, folks.
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