You probably know of brothers Ronnie and Jason Martin from their separate, successful endeavors. Ronnie Martin is the driving force behind techno-pop act Joy Electric, and Jason Martin is the brains behind indie rock band Starflyer 59. But they have come together now, as brothers in Christ, and in the flesh, to form the aptly titled side project, The Brothers Martin.

The resulting ten tracks on their self-titled debut, not very surprisingly, sound a whole lot like what would happen if you joined Joy Electric and Starflyer 59 together. It's got the catchy synth and keyboards of Joy Electric, but runs it behind some indie sensibility on drums and guitar. And sometimes it tends to lean on separate ends of the two extremes. "The Plot That Weaves" feels a lot like an indie experimental band a la Muse, while the very next track "Fears to Remember" feels like the soundtrack to a Super Nintendo game.

The formula works, and the Martin brothers spread that formula out. There's no "this sounds a lot like the last track" here. The only complaint that comes to mind would be the somewhat irritating chorus repetitions on songs like "Deaf Will Hear." Thankfully, those moments are few and far between, and are outweighed by the good found on this record.

The Brothers Martin is a fun, catchy, smart piece of work sure to please fans of Joy Electric and Starflyer 59 alike. Those unfamiliar with both of those legends would do well to give them a listen, and then listen to what a couple of veterans can do when their creative minds are put to work on the same project. Here's to hoping this isn't all we'll hear from these brothers.

- Review date: 1/19/07, written by Josh Taylor