• The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love:     H.O.M.E.S. Volume 1 Like their name suggests, T.O.B.A.S.O.L have panache for singing the praises of roots, family and the places we call home. H.O.M.E.S Vol. 1, is a dedication of sorts to their native Michigan. When you're in elementary school in Michigan, learning the great lakes is mandatory and the way its taught is by acronym:  Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. Having a fierce romantic pride in their midwestern heritage, this particular acronym seemed an appropriate banner for the songs of H.O.M.E.S. Steeped in regional imagery, like a noir film projected onto the old boards of a collapsed barn, they are collectors of the bygone and brewers of the new. Reviews All Music Guide Expert Review: There's no denying the sheer artiness of the Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, even if their second album, H.O.M.E.S., is positively streamlined and muscular compared to their endearingly precious debut, The Legend of Jeb Minor. Here, TOBASOL strengthen their sound, retaining their enticing ethereal feel, yet making it more direct with a clean, direct production and melodies that delve into tuneful psychedelia as often as they seem like forgotten folk songs. In retrospect, it's a logical outgrowth of their first album, yet the punchy, live production comes as a bit of a shock at first. While this sound isn't as dreamy as Jeb Minor, it's enhances the group's essential character. The Brothers and Sisters still don't sound like anybody else, as they blend the past and present, not just in their music, but in their very lyrics. If their debut hung suspended in time, this record has a clear sense of place — namely, Michigan, particularly Michigan's past. Like a folky, American XTC, they reconstruct the past for the present, borrowing folk inflections for pop songs and vice versa. And make no mistake — even with neo-folk tales like the stomping "Foreman of the Mill," there's a heavier pop element here, evidenced by both the skipping "Michigan and Trumbull," the dissonant-specked "Beautiful Night," even the lovely "(Untitled)." Although H.O.M.E.S. is constructed like a classic record, flowing easily and filled with warm, little sonic details, TOBASOL have created a record that's nevertheless new. It's easy to get caught up in their thrill of discovery as they craft a delightfully eccentric record that consolidates their strengths while pushing into new territory. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine "The resulting "TOBASOL Sound" is a shimmering blend of '60s-era Fairport Convention, "Odessey & Oracle"-period Zombies, Austin's The Gourds and a dash of XTC. On the lyrical side, the group intermingles blue-collar perspective (a la Gordon Lightfoot or Stan Rogers) with whimsical, slice-of-life miniatures reminiscent of "The Kinks are The Village Green Preservation Society" and The Beatles' "Penny Lane." - Iowa Press Citizen "sepia-toned images are lent strength by the gentle poetry of the lyrics, and the light, front-porch swing of the acoustic guitars, banjos, mandolins and strings." -Pitchfork "The entire album is steeped in windy Michigan nights and the copper of turning leaves, brimming over with newfound ancient tales and Midwestern romance." -Current The hybrid animal of folk and pop that The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love (T.O.B.A.S.O.L. for short) have birthed is a great, shambling creature of surprising compositional complexity and stimulating, amusing lyrics. Coming from the Camper van Beethoven (that‚s the second time they‚ve shown up in these DIYs), Fairport Convention, and Beach Boys schools of quirky arrangement and inventive instrumentation, the folks in T.O.B.A.S.O.L. have created a fresh, invigorating sound. Fiddle and accordion share the spotlight with hammering percussion while melodies curl and fold around themselves, flirting with dissonance but never quite touching it. Their second CD, H.O.M.E.S., is, at its core, a folk record. Taking each letter in its title from a Great Lake, H.O.M.E.S. is filled with songs whose titles are as engaging as their musical and lyrical content. Examples would have to include "East Jesus America," "Vintage Schwinn Enthusiast," and "Winter Coat Romancing." T.O.B.A.S.O.L.'s peculiarities never commandeer the intelligent work, but allow the music to keep a winking, sly grin. Even at its most brutal, as in the limping, stuttering murder tune "The Foreman of the Mill," there is a playful quality present that keeps the record fun and, ultimately, very human. -Performing Songwriter   1. East Jesus America 2. Upstate Dreaming 3. She's Come Home to Steal Her Rainbows 4. Vintage Schwinn Enthusiast 5. Winter Coat Romancing 6. Church Bus 7. The Foreman      of the Mill 8. Highway 2 9. Michigan and Trumbull 10. Silent Apologies 11. Beautiful Night 12. H.O.M.E.S.