The strength of a perfect pairing lies in more than just the individuality of its parts; it relies on the newness of what that pairing creates. When two of Athens, Georgia's most respected musical forces-- Vic Chesnuttand Widespread Panic--first came together in 1993 to form the extraordinary collective Brute, they found they had formed a powerhouse combination unachievable without each other--one so good that almost a decade later it yearns to live again. And so it does. On April 9, 2002, Widespread Records released Brute's second album, Co-Balt. Driven by Chesnutt's signature playful-yet-meaningful songwriting style (not to mention vocals and acoustic guitar), the eleven-song disc bears the indelible mark of producer John Keane(backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, pedal steel) and features the whole Widespread crew: Dave Schools(bass), Michael Houser(guitar), John Hermann(keyboards), Todd Nance(drums), John Bell(backing vocals, electric guitar) and Domingo Ortiz(percussion). Recording the rough mixes for Co-Baltin Keane's home studio over a three-day period in January of 2001, the Brute boys had no time to compose, let along rehearse. Vic made selections from his "trunk of songs" each day then the group simply hit record and played, a process not unlike their first collaboration, their 1995 debut Nine High A Pallet. While the in-the-moment approach was the same, the outcome this time was tighter, more concise, lending Co-Balta new maturity. It's quite a feat to top an album Entertainment Weeklycalled "...a compelling, rollicking disc" and CMJdubbed "a rare triumph," but it looks like they've done it. "It [ Co-Balt] has the Keane gloss to it," Schools comments, "but all the heaviness that Brute implies." Vic agrees, "It's slicker than the last one... This record is more pop. I see this one as more light-hearted with a couple of melancholy and dark numbers." But don't judge a tune by its tone alone. "Vic's good at hiding really dark lyrics behind happy chord changes," School points out. Co-Baltis cohesive, of course. Still, each song maintains its unique identity. "Scholarship" is the only song Vic wrote with this particular group of musicians in mind. "I wrote it right after we recorded the last Brute record. I thought of this great riff that would be perfect with Panic playing it." This is a compliment of the highest order for Schools, who unknowingly inspired yet another song, "Puppy Sleeps." Co-written by Schools, it's the only tune on the album not composed entirely by Chesnutt. "When we were rehearsing for a show, I had this riff and I heard Dave talking about his puppy," he explains, "I took pieces of his conversation. I thought it would make a great song." These are the kind of spontaneous moments that turn into music which make Brute its own being. "People are surprised at this pairing," House concedes. "Vic came from a different music angle than we did. We had a traditional rock 'n' roll background and Vic was part of the Athens punk/thrash scene." Somehow, the combination just works.