Breton - Other People's Problems
Breton are a five piece band from South-east London that have taken a liking to eerie, cinematic electronica, recording in abandoned banks and making award-winning indie films. In the past, they have had three EPs which have all received acclaim, and now they present us with their much anticipated debut album. The final result is an interesting, eclectic mixture of some parts dance, some parts lo-fi electronica, pop and borderline dubstep, and makes for an interesting listen, even though it isn't always that memorable.
We start with Pacemaker, a track that opens gradually, with a drum/string combo that stumbles in almost the same way as Radiohead's recent album opener, Bloom, and progresses with the bassline becoming more apparent, complimenting the strings that almost swagger. Electrician continues this with less electronic stumbling, and creates a more anthemic, accessible song with a catchy chorus and a decent hook. These are the kind of tracks that Breton seems to do best, along with what follows: Edward the Confessor, which is more of the same, but with a darker mood. The singer makes use of shouting in this one, with his voice sounding like it is about to crumble away into white noise at times, to good effect.
This all sounds like fairly high praise so far, and deservedly so, but unfortunately after this, the album is let down by some tracks that are just forgettable. 2 Years, Wood and Plastic and Governing Correctly all begin promisingly, but fade into generic, muddied, forgettable electronica that you won't rush to hear again. Fortunately, we are brought back on track with Interference, the catchiest anthem here. Its main hook is a jumpy, simple sing-a-long of 'Woah's that give way to a punchy beat with well sung lyrics, and eventually the inclusion of strings. Overall, a great, simpler track that builds up and becomes a real anthem that must be good to hear/see live. Along with the tracks that begin the album, this is where Breton really do themselves proud. Unlike most of the other tracks, this one will make you want to sing.
Ghost Note unfortunately belongs with the other forgettable tracks, but the closing three are again superb. Jostle is a restrained, bouncy track with a well-executed beat behind it, the vocals resting nicely in the mix, and is easy on the ear. The Commission is an epic closer that calms and sedates the listener, bringing them down to its cinematic, placid mood. It is best experienced with the music video (which is well worth watching), as it fits perfectly and will show you just why these guys are filmmakers. The track that stands out for me, though, is the track that most sounds like conventional dance music, but done with Breton's distinct print left on it. Oxides is probably the closest to dubstep I've ever actually liked. It begins with quite a pretty, intricate, slow introduction, with an opening verse or two of peaceful vocals and production reminiscent of James Blake's debut album. That is almost completely destroyed by THAT BEAT, which transforms the track into an absolute stomper which only grazes dubstep and dance music, it's repetition capturing the listener in a trance that is difficult to shake yourself from. Even though the tracks I have praised here were enjoyable, this really made me stand up and take note.
Overall, Other People's Problems is a very solid effort. It is not perfect by any stretch, and to some extent it is let down by tracks that do not live up to the standard that Breton set themselves with their better tracks. However, it is true of the whole album that it was made with intricate, meticulous and talented production techniques, and each time you listen to it, you will notice something new. Not always glaringly obvious, perhaps a subtle sonic interference, or a lyric you didn't catch before. You'll certainly like something here.