BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

 

Siblings Marty and Matt Bohannon, co-leaders of the namesake group Bohannons have announced an upcoming pair of albums, A Scar is Born and Go Back to Your Roots, which will mark a significant departure in execution for the group.

 

The departure in question is significant in that entails a notable split of the group, though not in a capacity which would imply the end of the band. On the contrary, the brothers are very much still working as a unit, supporting one another in the lead-up to one another’s upcoming solo albums, scheduled to be released on the same day later this month.

 

Marty Bohannon will be releasing his album A Scar is Born, while Matt Bohannon will be releasing his album Go Back to Your Roots. Both albums are scheduled to see release on Friday, February 28, 2025, through Cornelius Chapel Records.

 

The brothers have been faithfully honing their craft, writing and performing the music they know and love for over two decades. Now listeners will have a chance to experience the distinctive artistic stylings of each Bohannon sibling by way of a full-fledged solo release from each lead-member.

 

Cornelius Chapel Records Wes McDonald touched on the unique brotherly and musical relationship of the Bohannon brothers as part of an announcement of the upcoming releases.

 

“If you’ve ever asked yourself, from where does the magic of the Bohannons come? Who’s carrying most of the weight in this incredible enduring band that hardly anyone seems to know about? Is it Matt? Is it Marty? With the arrival of their solo albums, Matt Bo’s Go Back To Your Roots and Marty Bo’s A Scar Is Born, we have a clear answer. It’s each of them,” says McDonald.

 

“Each brother shines in his own brilliant way on their respective solo albums, but also in the most unmistakable and indelible way. The Bohannon way.”

 

Marty Bohannon’s A Scar is Born is preceded by lead single “Josephine,” which opens with an almost jubilant set of ringing B major chords and subsequent ear-worm riff atop sputtering snare drum rolls.

 

 

The tune, which addresses the titular “Josephine” directly, is almost disarmingly melodic and is generally quite accessible. The number sounds almost like something that could’ve been released by The Lumineers, or it would of not for some very angular chord changes reminiscent of those found in the Grateful Dead’s “Victim or the Crime,” for example.

 

Additionally, “Josephine” features some interesting rhythmic dynamics, including sudden time signature shifts in places, as well as a driving 6/8 shuffle that seems to sit within the straight 4s of the verses like a Russian nesting doll of rhythms.

 

The track closes with an expressive guitar solo – through a tube amp by this writer’s estimation? Though one can never truly tell – that pulls the track nicely into an extended fade-out section.

 

Matt Bonhannon’s first single from Get Back to Your Roots, “Home Alone” can also deceptively tricky rhythmically. While the tune coasts on a danceable rhythm, the verse sections feature drums in a sort of tug-of-war battle with themselves. It’s almost a though the drums want to launch into double-time but are hesitant to do so.

 

 

This dynamic makes way for a rhythmic tension which maintains the musical interest while preventing the proceedings from wearing thin, the latter of which can happen from time to time with regard to driving, double-time rhythms featuring a dearth of variation.

 

“Home Alone” falls victim to no such pitfalls, however, offering up an accessible blend of genre elements which sounds almost as though musician Adam Young took a stab at southern rock. Housed within the bright and punchy, Indie-leaning instrumentation is what seems to be a fiddle ringing out low in the mix, giving the whole thing an Isbellian feel.

 

Be on the lookout for Marty Bohannon’s LP, A Scar Is Born and Matt Bohannon’s LP, Go Back To Your Roots at the end of the month. In the meantime, the brothers’ lead singles “Josephine” and “Home Alone” are available to purchase and stream.