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It's instructive when looking on retail sites to
see the 'people who bought Brakes have also bought
this' list. The Long Blondes, The Magic Numbers,
The Ordinary Boys, Damien Rice - elements of
all appear on this weird and wonderful record called The Beatific Visions, but
it's far from a contrived attempt to cover all bases.
But then for a quartet with ex-members of British
Sea Power and Electric Soft Parade, perhaps
it's not too much of a surprise. Songwriting is
clearly a pleasure for them, with quirky lyrics,
decent tunes and no-frills production.
Between tracks it's difficult to remember you’re
listening to the same band. When a song like Porcupine
& Pineapple? explodes from the speakers, spitting
anti-war venom before exiting stage left in just 63
seconds, punk sensibilities are to the fore. Contrast
that with the epic, lovelorn No Return, a
string-drenched song that tugs at the heartstrings,
pondering whether to leave or stay.
There's a quaintness about much of the Brakes
songwriting, occasionally leaning towards Belle &
Sebastian. Recording the album in Nashville seems
to have lent the album an open-air feel. Margherita
has an easy going country charm, while Mobile
Communication has a gentle resignation. That damned
reception's gone again...
Ties to the homeland remain, with endearingly
English lyrics that speak in Hold Me In The River of
"follow my leader" and "skip to the lou", while the
bonkers Spring Chicken tries its luck with a few
do-ci-dos.
Vocalist Eamon Hamilton seems to be a man of
several personas, and a tender love moment on Isabel
should never be taken for granted, as he'll be more
than ready to punch out a spiky guitar riff and
strangled yelp of a vocal in the next minute. His song
structures are pleasingly random and err on the brief
side, the whole album over in just under half an
hour.
As No Return unwinds; however, you get the sense
the band is reveling in the timelessness of it all, as
if they know there's no time limit. It complements the
short, frenetic bursts extremely well.
The album is an intriguing mixture of moods and
styles, a piece of work that despite its brevity has
to be lived for a good many listens. Then the overall
structure becomes clearer, a kind of mini-concept
record that will amuse, puzzle, uplift and even
irritate in equal measure, displaying a refreshing
alternative to conventional ideas.
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Mercury Prize 2009 nominees
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