Although their band name means ‘to halt,’ there isn’t a musical genre this quartet won’t stop and try. “If I Should Die Tonight” is country-ish with plunk-y barroom piano; “On Your Side” borrows the jangle-y guitar riff from The Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville”; “Isabel” is quietly acoustic. The Beatific Visions also offers widely differing lyrical perspectives. “Porcupine Or Pineapple” turns a silly song title into a punk rant that questions (presumably) the Iraq war. “Spring Chicken” is best of all, as vocalist Eamon Hamilton clucks out this new dance anthem with reckless abandon. At a time when so many other new bands can’t seem to do even one thing well, it’s refreshing to find a group with such eclectic skills. At the same time, however, this scattered approach also suggests a potential identity crisis. It makes the group one tough act to market, but more importantly, one wonders if Brakesbrakesbrakes know who they want to be. Are they the youthful punk rockers of “Cease and Desist,” or the sensitive singer/songwriters portrayed by “No Return”? We don’t know for sure. Right now, at least, the future is wide open. Brakesbrakesbrakes can move in any direction they so choose and likely fair well. Maybe stopping to contemplate their future wouldn’t be such a bad idea right about now.
~ Dan MacIntosh
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