Be Cool (EP) - The Labra Brothers (Soft Rock) On The Labra Brothers’ three-song EP, “Be Cool”, we get quite a jam session, delivering chill vibes, musical versatility and a bilingual flair. The brother band, comprising Adrian Labra on vocals and guitar, Cristian Labra on vocals and bass, David Labra on vocals, guitar, and sax, Antonio Labra on percussion, Danny Svenson on keys, and Matt Hayes on drums, has developed a distinct sound for their latest project after some prior experimentation—predecessor LP “Colder Weather” from 2019 leaned more into classical rock & roll. What results is quite a cohesive project—chill, low key and easy breezy. It was difficult to peg a genre here as “Be Cool” is a melting pot of soft rock, latin, funk and R&B/Soul—so we think it’s best to call this “grown folks” or “crowd pleaser” music. Light on modern day production tricks and gimmicks, the EP relies on traditional live band musicality, which has convinced us that The Labra Brothers would give an audience one hell of a live show.
Perhaps it’s the family dynamic, but you can tell when listing to the EP that this bevy of musical talent really gels, delivering a product more than the sum of its constituent parts. The three-part sibling vocal harmonies are lush (we had to read the press release to realize this just wasn’t one person dubbing as they were that well blended), and guitars and horns are given plenty of room to show off—again, The Labra Brothers must really turn an audience.
So let’s dig in. The title track, “Be Cool”, is a great intro to the project, and we agree with their choice to make this the lead single. It’s a song about kindness and good vibes, which you get from feel of the instrumental alone. The vocal performance is very strong, and we love the choice of the tight reverb which we think heightens the song and gives it a unique identity amongst its peers (this effect will return in closer “Not Far From Home”). Overall, “Be Cool” introduces you immediately to the brothers’ style for the project—these are jam sessions featuring robust instrumentations and an R&B sensibility in the lead melodies (we specifically got some Bruno Mars in this track).
The brothers slow things down in “Los Dias” and dive into some latin island vibes that evoke the feeling of the beach at dusk—rolling waves and sunset. The production is particularly crisp with a tight, punchy percussion cutting through the otherwise dreamy track. While a guitar solo featured in “Be Cool”, this time the sax is given its due, once again turning a catchy, radio-friendly track into a jam session.
Finally, “Not Far From Home” feels almost like a meld of the two prior tracks in terms of style, making it the perfect closer. Here, it’s the lyrics that stand out to us most—certainly the most memorable of the collection—delivered with a lilting melody in this midtempo affair. “How are you supposed to get home when you can’t face yourself?” will stick with us for a while.
Overall, “Be Cool” is an all ages affair, perfect for a day on the beach, or better, a The Labras Brothers concert..