Reviews

This is the Mudhoney experiment part two.  Oh, you mean you don’t remember, or never knew, that pseudo grunge band from Seattle in the late 80’s and early 90’s?  Mudhoney was the “other” band, the one standing in the back, jumping up and down while waving their hands and yelling, “Pick us! Here we are, don’t forget about us!” while bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Mother Love Bone (and later Pearl Jam), were casting massive shadows.  The band Brakes, on their debut album “Give Blood,” seem to be conjuring up the ghosts of past grunge band wannabes.  Brakes maybe more mature and refined than Mudhoney, but when it comes to the craftsmanship of songs, and the singing of Eamon Hamilton, who always seems on the verge of yodeling, they fly on the same level.

One interesting thing about “Give Blood” is at times Brakes cut loose from the grungy rock and take on other genres such as punk and country.  Unfortunately, the punk songs, which may very well be their strong suit if they actually took the time to hone their songs, are mostly short tirades – there are 4 tracks between 6 and 38 seconds.  The ones that are longer in nature, which is only a few as the entire album has 16 tracks but comes in at an astounding 29 minutes, are inundated with brash arrangements and sophomoric lyrics.  The track, “You’ll Always Have a Place to Stay” utters such regrettable lyrics as “Why don’t you come round Saturday/We’ll go out drinkin’, takin’ cocaine/Try to forget, get high to forget.”

Unfortunately, there are only a few small places to hang your coat in this album because it is almost completely devoid of any hooks.  Brakes is the typical three-cord modern rock band that, for at least the past five years, have been invading our radios, stores, and homes, and only just now are beginning to fade into obscurity.  One person described this album as “the sound of four friends playing music in a room, recorded onto tape.”  That’s a fairly accurate description as it is sloppy, hasty, and unrefined.  It seems more like a recording of four friends practicing in a room, but having not yet mastered anything.

With all that said, the entire album is not a complete wash, there are a few gems to behold.  One is the anthem-like “All Night Disco Party” which couples both a tight and funky bass line with repetitive lyrics that makes for an easy chant or sing-along.  Another song, “You’re So Pretty,” is a nice blend of good guitar riffs, smooth melodies, and soothing singing.  It can easily be compared to some early 90’s bands such as the Gin Blossoms, which is not a bad thing.  Oddly enough, the two strongest tracks are both covers featuring female guest vocalists.  The first, “Jackson,” a cover of the Johnny Cash/June Carter country duet, has Liela Moss, of The Duke Spirit, playing the role of June Carter, and she is nothing short of brilliant.  The second, “Sometimes Always,” a Jesus and Mary Chain cover featuring The Pipettes in the role originally sung by Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Starr.  Although the track is solid, Eamon and The Pipettes are unable to conjure the soothing sound and raw emotions which Sandoval and Jim Reid produced on the original.  However, these four songs in no way justify an entire album, which is why in today’s world of online music buying, we have the wonderful option of purchasing single songs from specific albums, instead of having to purchase an entire album.  These three songs would each be worth the 99 cent download.

Brakes certainly have agendas at hand as they quip about such things as politics, fame, and money.  However, they fail to invoke true emotions of anxiety, frustration, anger, and a sense of disillusion and instead some across as simply a band out for a good time and therefore it’s hard to take them seriously.