Following in the footsteps of rival boy band
Take That,
Boyzone reunited during the late 2000s and made plans for a comeback album that would eventually be released as
Brother. However, the death of bandmember
Stephen Gately in 2009 seriously put into question whether or not this comeback album would ever see the light of day. Fortunately for those
Boyzone fans eager to hear how the now-grown-up Irish boy band might sound after all these years, the remaining four bandmembers followed through with their plans and finished
Brother, a safe and carefully crafted album dedicated to
Gately (i.e., their fallen brother) that includes his vocals on two songs ("Gave It All Away," "Stronger") and addresses him on another ("One More Song"). While
Brother is far more adult-oriented than
Boyzone's first three albums,
Said and Done (1995),
A Different Beat (1996), and
Where We Belong (1998), it's not too much of a departure in any other respect, which should delight fans eager for more material. To no one's surprise, it's a ballad-heavy effort with lots of piano melodies, string arrangements, and grandiose choruses. As is customary,
Ronan Keating takes many of the album's lead vocals. One difference between
Brother and
Boyzone albums of the past is the absence of cover material. A long list of industry professionals are credited with writing the songs, the most notable of them pop superstar Mika, who penned the album-opening lead single, "Gave It All Away." It's a good song with glimmers of greatness, in particular the first minute of the song, where
Gately is hauntingly heard singing "I will learn to live before I die" over an eerie backward-tracked string arrangement. Most impressive is the second track on the album, "Love Is a Hurricane," a showcase for
Keating that marks the high point of
Brother. Other standout tracks include the Mikey Graham showcase "Ruby" and "Right Here Waiting," an uplifting song of hope that follows the mid-album
Gately tribute "One More Song." ~ Jason Birchmeier