brakesbrakesbrakes

The Beatific Visions (Rough Trade)

By Matt Siblo
Published: June 11th, 2007 | 10:13pm

Late 2005 was the perfect time for Brakes’ debut Give Blood, an ideal antidote to Art Brut’s ironic posturing as well as providing solace to the informed minority still reeling from the untimely demise of literate trash punkers Mclusky. Give Blood had a snarky, self-aware sense of humor without falling into outright novelty or disposability.

Brakes’ (brakesbrakesbrakes to us Yanks) sophomore effort, The Beatific Visions, is something different all together if not just a new wrapper on the same piece of punk/country candy. Songs like “Porcupine or Pineapple” and “Hold Me in the River” show the same fierce irreverence that dominated Give Blood, but it’s clear that The Beatific Visions has grander aspirations than its predecessor. This shift shouldn’t be necessarily interpreted as “maturity,” the dirty word often thrown around when discussing second albums. The Beatific Visions might not pack as much debauchery in its hurried 28 minutes but its reward is in its variation.

While Give Blood hinted towards something twangy, here Brakes aren’t afraid to indulge in something other than punk-influenced garage rock. “Isabel” is a jarringly earnest ballad and album closer “No Return” allows singer Eamon Hamilton’s Scottish warble to show a dash of unexpected vulnerability. But don’t fret too much, for even when the band lets its guard down it’s mostly done with a wink and a nod, as is the case with the ode to cell phone static “Mobile Communication.” The Beatific Visions is a nice reminder that a band can expand its sound while retaining what made them great in the first place.