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Avg: 3.5 (59 ratings)
- Date Released: April 21, 2009
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Label: Fat Cat Records / IODA
Two indie rockers have a blast mixing punk and twang
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We Say...
When they first emerged, Brakes — now known in America as brakesbrakesbrakes — seemed like they were out to make fun of rock even as they created it. Their debut, Give Blood, gnashed out tunes like "Heard About Your Band" (not much of it good, mind) and "All Night Disco Party" with just the right mixture of sneer and glee, but their version of Johnny and June Cash's "Jackson" wasn't a joke. The Beatific Visions was less twangy and even funnier, thanks to cuts like the spleen-venting "Porcupine or Pineapple."
There are times on Touchdown when brakesbrakesbrakes' singer Eamon Hamilton is too clever for his own good: it happens with smart, wordy guys who front rock bands. "Don't Take Me to Space (Man)" contains exactly the hoary wordplay you think it does. But Touchdown is also proof that Hamilton, guitar-drummer siblings Thomas and Alex White, and bassist Marc Beatty do, continue to mix punk and twang naturalistically. They score an easy victory with their snappy cover of American indie rocker Charles Douglas' "Ancient Mysteries." And the sob-to-a-gnarl "Why Tell the Truth (When It's Easier to Lie)," opens with a Hamilton verse that George Jones would raise a glass to: "I'm gonna tell you why it is that I drink my days away/It's 'cause the beer helps the cigarettes go down/And I'm gonna tell you why it is that I cry my nights away/It's 'cause the tears help the memories come out." -
They Say...
If the Brakes were the Pixies (a band that sounds very similar), Touchdown would be their Doolittle -- that is, a slightly more polished and accessible album than their last, showing the band tightening their reigns slightly and turning in some of their tightest, cleanest work to date. It's a genuine alt pop album, one that finds the former and current members of British Sea Power, Electric Soft Parade, and the Tenderfoot more masterful than ever at churning out opaque, punchy melodies anchored by dry wit. College rock crossover potential seems evident, but, while Touchdown looks to appeal to a broader audience than its predecessors, that's not to say that things are overly toned down or have lost their edge. Things have simply been made less convoluted by trimming off the extra fat. Brakes, like always, exercise a wide variety of styles, and show off their ability to change their dynamic range drastically from one song to the next. "Red Tag" finds the group paying tribute to Radiohead, but in a much more furious punk rock fashion, "Eternal Refrain" is a sweet little country slice about the circular nature of life, and "Leaving England" is a relieving day dreamy space ballad ends the album. But as solid as these moments are, they're a little generic sounding in the overall context. The heart of Brakes lies in their true jams: immediate jingle-jangle pop songs with big, chunky choruses. And boy, there are a lot of them.
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| 01. |  |
Two Shocks |
3:49 |
|
| 02. | |
Don't Take Me To Space (Man) |
2:40 |
|
| 03. | |
Red Rag |
1:32 |
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| 04. | |
Worry About It Later |
2:03 |
|
| 05. | |
Crush On You |
3:14 |
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| 06. | |
Eternal Return |
2:31 |
|
| 07. | |
Do You Feel The Same? |
1:33 |
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| 08. | |
Ancient Mysteries |
1:57 |
|
| 09. | |
Oh! Forever |
4:07 |
|
| 10. | |
Hey Hey |
2:17 |
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| 11. | |
Why Tell The Truth (When It's Easier To Lie) |
3:32 |
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| 12. | |
Leaving England |
6:53 |
|
12 Total Tracks, 36:08 Total Length
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Credits
- Alan Douches - Mastering // Paul Savage - Engineer // Paul Savage - Mixing // Thomas White - Guitar // Thomas White - Drums // Thomas White - Vocals (Background) // Marc Beatty - Guitar (Bass) // Eamon Hamilton - Guitar (Acoustic) // Eamon Hamilton - Vocals // Alex White - Guitar // Alex White - Percussion // Alex White - Drums // Alex White - Keyboards // Jamie Savage - Assistant
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