Photo Credit: Spencer Isberg (@withintheviewfinder)
Michael Cera Palin, an Atlanta trio made up of Elliott Brabant (vocals/guitar), Jon Buncic (drums – Chad Miller joined after the album’s completion) and Jon Williams (bass), release their debut album ‘We Could Be Brave’ via Big Scary Monsters on 7 March, 2025.
A clattering of drums and Kinsella-esque guitar noodling signals the start of album opener ‘Feast or Famine’. After 40 seconds, things are turned up with riffs at the forefront although the song remains eminently danceable – albeit with a touch of emo sadness: ‘The hours turn to weeks, don’t you miss this side of me?’. ‘Tardy’ follows and with its zesty punk attitude running through, it’s a track that blends power-pop hooks with a relatable dose of anxiety: ‘Are you gonna let it eat you alive?’
‘Murder Hornet Furiosa’, in addition to having an awesome title, is an intense and angular piece with queerness at its core, while ‘Gracious’ finds the trio trying to make sense of things from their past against an angsty pop-punk backdrop that reminded us of Modern Baseball: ‘So gracious, sparing me a rear view of what comes after’. ‘Crypto’ has eyes on the rise of neo-fascism in America (it couldn’t be more timely) and ‘10.38/Doe’ has a more melancholy, tender approach with talk of ‘one more chance’ and observation that to ‘find comfort surrounds you with the loves of your live’.
The album closes with the title track – and what a finish it is. Twelve minutes of obsessing over past mistakes – ‘Exhausted my options, don’t know what time I’ve got’ – over twisty stop-start riffs, waves of feedback and a bop of a finish.
Michael Cera Palin talk about wanting to be brave, and they smash it out of the park with this debut.
