Brakes – Touchdown – Citizen Dick Album Review
Brakes is a band that’s similar to riding on an old school seesaw. You know exactly the kind I’m talking about. Splintered wood seats and paint-chipped steel could not possibly scare me now as much as it did when I was a wee lad. I always had the asshole friend that would jump off the other end when I was suspended five feet up in the sky. The plummet never ended well, unless of course you count avoiding a fractured leg as a happy outcome. While I don’t consider my playground romps fond memories, I distinctly remember the exhilaration associated with that dastardly kid-killer. Part of the enjoyment was the danger. I knew full well the snot-nosed kid on the other end could ruin my day in a millisecond by jumping off. The cool thing is that the high of being propelled upward far outweighed my fear of broken ankles. It was the high and low, and the impending fallout that made that thing my mainstay in the playground. This isn’t to say I didn’t fuck other kids up in the same way, but if we were playing chicken, I’d generally be the one that got planted. Touchdown is the third full length from BrakesBrakesBrakes (This is their US name), and it’s a heck of a seesaw. It propels the audience through breathtaking power pop highs and every now and again, it becomes the little brat that jumps off the seat and sends you crashing to the earth with wicked rock stomp.
Before diving into the more raucous sections of the record, what’s crucially important when dissecting any of Brakes’ releases is to understand what they’re trying to do. The band loves the dichotomy of sound their releases produce. They’re fully aware of the hook, the power driven chords and huge choruses. However, as this new release unwraps, polished and clean acoustically endearing tracks are spread across this album perfectly. When compared to their previous release, The Beatific Visions, there’s definitely a high gloss of polish on Touchdown but it lets a lot of the instrumentation ring solidly. Several tracks are bursting with an endearing quality that gently glides listeners into Brakes’ world, chiefly in the album’s last track, “Leaving England” where irish folk arpeggios mix with soft tambourines and intelligent lyricism. “Eternal Ruin” is entirely country twang and reminiscent of old school southern blues jam bands. This track is tightly arranged and a crescendo and sincere warmth spread their arms around the listener. Nothing is contrived, even on the more calmed down tracks on the record. Power pop by nature usually involves a healthy dose of sell out, but that’s not the case here in the slightest bit.
As with my childhood misery on the seesaw, Brakes knows how to get things moving. Half of this record maintains an incredibly catchy quality but sacrifices nothing with regards to loudness and fuzzy distortion. Stylistically, Brakes growls when it shifts into high gear on “Red Rag,” a minute and a half total spazz out of drumhead shattering percussion and frenetically spastic guitar work. One important notion that arises through repeat listens is that the hooks draws you in, but the band isn’t satisfied with merely offering catchy singalongs, as in “Hey Hey” where Brakes resembles the UK version of 2009 Telekinesis, throwing back to bluesy roots and pure rock standards. “Why Tell the Truth (When it’s Easier to Lie)?” begins as a clean acoustic folk song and quickly dives into an edgy snarl that blows any notion of “soft” out of the discussion. “I’m gonna tell you why it is I drink my days away. It’s because the beer helps the cigarettes go down.” I can get behind lyrics like this, namely because I like a good smoke while I drink, but I also enjoy a little sneer in my music. When I first listened to this record, I mentioned to James that Brakes isn’t too far flung from a catchy brit pop outfit. But, I’ll be damned, I like pop bands that could belt out some Slayer if asked.
To create the dichotomy between catchy anthemic rock and roll and sludgy sleaze, it’s obvious these dudes are talented. The widespread acclaim of the first two efforts, along with some increased studio bells and whistles, has honed and polished this album into a sound the old fans should love. Eamon Hamilton is adept on the acoustic guitar and delivers vocals either gently or with angular and gritty appeal, depending on whether they’re letting the clutch loose. Alex White is a drummer who knows how to pound, but varies styles enough to lull me to sleep on some tracks; the dual nature of the album really hits home if you listen to the stellar percussion that leaps outward. In any event, this is an album that will stick in your craw on first play, but many subtle nuances are obtained through subsequent repeats.
As with the seesaw, there’s a battle going on with this record. Catchy power pop rhythms and hooks are mixed with gentle acoustic balladry, country twang, and near spastic hard rock riffs. If the goal is hit a broad spectrum, Brakes hits their mark with Touchdown. The lofty standard power anthems propel me upward toward the sky but the dark and gritty undertones smack me right back down again. Well worth the purchase, as Touchdown (BrakesBrakesBrakes in the US ) hits stores today. Enjoy “Hey Hey” off of the album and turn the volume up.
Order Touchdown today at Insound!
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