Tonight, Chicago, at The Empty Bottle, there will take place an epic show wherein three bands will play that are guaranteed to send this Tart into a real tizzy. I am seriously so full of pre-show jitters, even now, at 1:30 a.m. the night before, that I can hardly type this album review for you. But type it I will because I have recently become acquainted with the marvelous band Brakes (yes, they’re called Brakes, Brakes, Brakes in the U.S. but their real name is just Brakes in their native home, Brighton, UK… it’s some confusion with some other band here, nonsense.) And Brakes is, I’m assuming, the first band to play at this tri-fecta of aural delight that is to come my way tonight, before We Were Promised Jetpacks, and The Twilight Sad descend upon me us.

Touchdown was released on FatCat Records back in April of this year and honestly, I am sorry that it passed me by. I would have really liked to have been listening to this all this time! It’s an odd record. I’ll just come out and say it. The band has been described as folk, punk, indie rock and the album seriously covers all that in quick succession. Starting out with solid indie pop, “Two Shocks” and “Don’t Take Me To Space (Man)” shoot Brakes at you right out of the box. They’re quick, light and show off their guitar muscles nicely. “Red Rag” sounds like the logical result of such a good warmup. Faking us out with a short piano refrain, it turns on us, raw and bleeding and if you’re into that (I most certainly am!) it’s garishly beautiful.

I usually hate reviewing albums in order, with each song being dissected. But with Touchdown I feel I’m given little choice. The songs lurch a bit from one flavor to the next and I can’t help but think that the song order must be important somehow. Right after that quick, dirty, little, punk peek into bloody, ugliness of “Red Rag” I’m whipped around to stare blindly into a bright strumming banjo (?) twee, folk number with “Worry About It Later” that makes me laugh out loud at it’s bouncy melody.  And then…. then, my darlings, comes the song we all know is going to just slay me. “Crush On You” is first of all, irresistibly titled, and secondly, it’s a stream of consciousness lyrical dish that when you hear the first few base lines just screams out P I X I E S ! I want need to hear this song tonight. But do Brakes let me sit back and dwell on my libido for long? Of course not, I’m swung round into a rockabilly tune with “Eternal Return” and I’m reminded of their cover of Johnny Cash’s “Jackson” on their live album, Rock Is Dodelijk (due out Nov 2). The next few songs flow smoothly from there, indie pop comes naturally to this band.

And my ears prick up again on “Oh Forever;” it’s that driving bass beat and squealing, discordant guitar with a repetitive vocal combination. Black Francis lives in these Brighton Boys; I’m very ok with that.  “Hey Hey” extends this same energy, I’m positively damp in anticipation of this live show by this point. And the next to last track, “Why Tell The Truth (When It’s Easier To Lie)” brings me down easy. Eamon Hamilton’s voice is clear and bright as he sings simply to the strumming of an acoustic guitar “I’m gonna tell you why it is that I drink my days away. It’s cause the beer helps the cigarettes go down. And I’m gonna tell you why it is that I cry my nights away. It’s cause the tears help the memories come out.” And perhaps this is the best song on the record, or maybe it’s just the point in the night when I just can’t take any more and they’ve beaten me down with all this genre switching and guitar goodness and bass beat. I bend at the slightest hint of emotion now. But there’s one more song left.  It’s more acoustic guitar, Eamon’s folksy voice and gorgeous harmonies and this most surprising song(s) of the album, “Leaving England/First Dance” leaves me bemused and completely curious as to which band I’ll hear tomorrow night? Will Brakes be folk, punk, indie pop or Pixie like rock? I have a real strong feeling they’re gonna be all of the above. I’ll let ya know, xoxo

buy Touchdown here

just for shits and giggles, here’s “Porcupine or Pineapple”, from 2006: