Despite the warming glow, the Brindley Brothers’ sophomore effort fails to ignite
Filled With Fire would be more satisfying if it existed in a vacuum. Luke Brindley’s storytelling senses prove sharp as ever with the waltzing, bittersweet romance of “Everybody Wants,” and newcomers may latch onto his streetwise and emotive prose during the E Street shuffle of “Saturday Night.” But Fire simply isn’t as much fun as the Brothers’ bracing, rough-hewn 2004 debut, Playing with the Light, where even tender tracks like “The Crazy One” featured sputtering guitars and Daniel Brindley’s edgy Fender Rhodes keyboard. Here, the embers are stoked to a milder flame during “Hurricane,” which borrows David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” riff.