Review Summary: For all its genre hopping, “The Beatific Visions” is half an hour of memorable rowdiness and restraint and well worth investigation.
Whilst Brakes 2005 debut “Give Blood” was regarded as a temporary diversion for Electric Soft Parade members Tom and Alex White, and British Sea Power Keyboardist Eamon Hamilton, the strong reviews and relative success of the album has ensured that the follow up “The Beatific Visions” requires a greater commitment. Hamilton therefore quit his duties with British Sea Power, as the band booked recording sessions at the renowned House Of David studios in Nashville Tennessee, and their gesture of intent as a fully fledged Country/Punk act is self evident in comparison to the choppy sometimes unfinished performances of their debut. Having performed at the South By Southwest Festival, the band hooked up with legendary Producer Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, White Stripes) who agreed to help record, and his input brings forward a mellower, more personal feel to the Country numbers, and a polished, tighter sound to the up tempo traditional Punk/Pop rockers. Hamilton cites diverse influences from Hank Williams to The Sex Pistols so one can understand the snappy shifts in genre throughout the album, which although not always seamless show a band encouraged to push traditional music boundaries with a surety of gay abandon.
The pace is set from the off, and the agitated riffs of the opener “Hold Me In The River” show a surging energy that reminds one of those glorious New Wave recordings of the late 70’s, a time when Pop music was influenced by the embers of Punk, the strong melodies supported by beefed up crash chords as Hamilton spits out the agonies of love “How can you tell me now what is this love, if it comes from above, why does it have to be so painful ?”. The powerful momentum is maintained by the vaguely anti war themes of “Margarita”; angry, thrashing and sounding thoroughly embittered and yet still coherent in its passion.
The scene switches swiftly to country, with the less memorable Honky Tonk of “If I Should Die Tonight”, followed by the sweet “Mobile Communication”, an ode to the fallibility of our favourite communicative products and how, in Hamilton’s mind, they kill relationships. Supported by a sweet Pedal steel, and alluring chord changes in the chorus, it is without doubt a highlight. Possibly the wackiest and most immediately memorable moment is the gutter Country/Punk hoe down “Spring Chicken”, an exhilarating call to the floor, fascinatingly rhythm driven, and it should create a brand new dance as one attempts to work out the moves to Hamilton’s ranting vocal, imploring us to “Come on over, do the terrorist”.
The rest sadly doesn’t maintain the vitality, but nonetheless the west coast Pop of “Beatific Visions”, the hard Rock of “Cease And Desist”, and the Alt. Country “On Your Side” are all strong songs, realized by honest mature performances from the band. If there is a reservation it’s the brevity of “The Beatific Visions”. At 28 minutes one feels left wanting more, half fulfilled by the main course, waiting for the musical sweet trolley that never arrives, particularly as the closer (“No Return”), is the weakest and most aimlessly drifting song on the album.
For all its genre hopping, “The Beatific Visions” is half an hour of memorable rowdiness and restraint and well worth investigation.
