Album Review: The Brokedowns - 'Life Is A Breeze'

10 December 2014 | 10:57 am | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Punk in real life

The Brokedowns sound rough enough to be considered a "legit" punk band, but they also favour a certain amount of melody to make their music as enjoyable as it is fun. Their latest record 'Life Is A Breeze' moves from songs laden with catchy hooks and bright riffs to down-the-line blasts of fast paced gutter punk, with melody playing a key role in everything they do.

Don't let the humorous song titles fool you, the lyrical content is based on the harsh realities of life, the band clearly write what they see and live and pretty much everybody could relate to this record in some way.

When the album's name is sung repetitively in the title track, the bouncy fun riffs will almost have you thinking that life is actually a breeze while the verses explain that at times it can be far from it, but the overall message is to ignore these trepidations and enjoy yourself as much as possible. That is where the instrumentation comes in, tracks like Murder Junkie/CPA or the swaying opener Joilet, The Maui of the Midwest, are fun, positive sounding numbers that beg a crowd of people to jump around and be stupid to.

The band's rougher moments, such as Born on the Bayou Too, take some gritty overdrives and rumbling drums lines which merely support the scratchy vocals and booming bass-lines that steal the limelight. The mid-point of the album takes a turn with The End Is Not Near, the record's darkest and most intense song, made even more effective as it breaks up the light that surrounds it and shows a different side to the band, they can be serious if they need to as the wash low toned riffs in catastrophic cymbal crashes and distorted vocals.

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Closing track A Child’s Guide To Black Metal is a low builder but once it gets going it travels along with rumbling drums and swaying vocal lines before exploding into a bouncy, riff laden bopper taking it out on the positive vibe that rules the majority of the record.

 

 

Weirdly enough, punk music just isn’t made like this in the majority these days. ‘Life Is A Breeze is as happy as it is sad, pretty as it is dirty and above all, real and honest, making it a fine album indeed.

1. Joliet, The Maui Of The Midwest

2. The Gospel Of Mustafa

3. Life Is A Breeze

4. Murder Junkie/CPA

5. Everything Is Immoral

6. Born On The Bayou Too

7. What A Drag

8. The End Is Not Near

9. Bless This Mess

10. Cash For Gold

11. DIY Space Program

12. Vapor Chase

13. I Respect Your Right To Always Be Wrong About Everything

14. God Hates Math

15. Keep Branson Weird

16. A Child's Guide To Black Metal