|
Breaklights, "Instructed to Fail" EP is terrific debut from Charlie Whittle, formerly of Joe Jitsu. Thematically, Instructed to Fail covers very familiar territory--love songs from a group of angst-ridden and maladjusted dudes who can't seem to catch a break (love songs are the bread and butter of just about every great pop band). True that this sort of theme has been done ad nauseam, but who the hell cares? The songs are wonderfully catchy mid-tempo power-pop tunes that I replayed over-and-over. And first two tracks are real gems--I found myself humming the melody throughout the day.
Breaklights sound can best be described as a bit of a continuation of Joe Jitsu (and this an excellent thing). Charlie Whittle writes some excellent songs; his songs are not overly complicated or overloaded with guitar solos. Instead, the band uses simple riffs with an occasional sliding octave cord as a lead. |
This style produces a sound that is similar to SoCo skate rock bands; but the difference is that Breaklights stick to mid-tempo, which gives their songs more a power-pop feel.
Charlie's vocals remind me a lot Matt Hart from Squirtgun--nasally (but not high pitched). His voice doesn't seem forced, and he sings in his natural range. However, his vocal tone at times gets a bit drowned out—this left me wondering if they could double up the vocals throughout (my only criticism). That being said, the tracks do contain enough backing vocals and occasional harmonies by Tron, the band’s drummer, to add enough support to Charlie’s vocals, and it really does work well.
The album was produced by Stephen Egerton (Descendents) at 3CG Studios in Tulsa, OK. The production of the EP is fantastic—in particular, the mix. The guitars are even and crisp, vocals are right up front (though I think Charlie's natural tone could use more support), and the drums are very present without drowning everything out.
Verdict: Buy. Breaklights, "Instructed to Fail" is a great four song debut that will leave you wanting more; the band shows a ton of promise, and I hope they can put together a full-length sometime soon. Check them out on their Bandcamp page: www.breaklights.bandcamp.com
Charlie's vocals remind me a lot Matt Hart from Squirtgun--nasally (but not high pitched). His voice doesn't seem forced, and he sings in his natural range. However, his vocal tone at times gets a bit drowned out—this left me wondering if they could double up the vocals throughout (my only criticism). That being said, the tracks do contain enough backing vocals and occasional harmonies by Tron, the band’s drummer, to add enough support to Charlie’s vocals, and it really does work well.
The album was produced by Stephen Egerton (Descendents) at 3CG Studios in Tulsa, OK. The production of the EP is fantastic—in particular, the mix. The guitars are even and crisp, vocals are right up front (though I think Charlie's natural tone could use more support), and the drums are very present without drowning everything out.
Verdict: Buy. Breaklights, "Instructed to Fail" is a great four song debut that will leave you wanting more; the band shows a ton of promise, and I hope they can put together a full-length sometime soon. Check them out on their Bandcamp page: www.breaklights.bandcamp.com
RSS Feed