You're Dreaming (Red House, 2016)

Don't let the different last names fool you. Jack Torrey and Page Burkum are brothers, and if there's any doubt just listen to this, their first studio album. They have that tighter than tight flawless harmony that maybe only brothers can do and not just any brothers. It's hard not to think to think of the Everlys when you listen to the Cactus Blossoms. In addition to the aforementioned harmonies, they've also got that more 'billy than rock rockabilly sound. Just check out "Stoplight Kisses" an ode to passing time at red lights that could sounds like prime Phil and Don.

This album has something of a DIY feel to it, the brothers co-produced the disc, and 9 of 11 tracks are written by Torrey. Burkum penned one, and the lone cover is of obscure Sun Records artists Alton and Jimmy's 1959 uptempo "No More Crying the Blues." The Blossoms easily outbop the original - maybe because Alton and Jimmy were cousins and not brothers, evidently a huge handicap in this subgenre.

Torrey has a knack for songwriting, but the harmonies save the Cacti Boys even when the material is less than stellar. That doesn't happen often here, but there are a few lyrics like "You're my best fittin' pair of jeans / like a dream I'm awake in your arms" that sound like they could have baked a little longer. A little time or a temporary co-writer should take care of that little problem, and there's no reason why the Cactus Blossom's brand of brother-billy can't bloom and grow.