BrakesBrakesBrakes

After establishing themselves as much more than just the side-project of British Sea Power and Electric Soft Parade members, Brakes seemed destined to revel in their newfound glory after impressing the pants off listeners with their 2005 debut, Give Blood. Well, like the million bands before them, Brakes were discovered by a lesser American band with the same name and forced to adopt their dot-com name to conduct business in North America. Let’s hope the confusion doesn’t hinder their chances because sophomore effort The Beatific Visions is another pearl of an album that demonstrates their smarts for creating astutely left-of-centre yet ridiculously accessible pop. Perhaps Brakes’ strongest asset is their confidence in shifting directions, moving their focus from manic power pop to alt-country twang to orchestral melancholy in the blink of an eye without harming their composure. The transition from the hokey joke-y squawks of "Spring Chicken” to the title track’s stunningly perfect pop and then the frenzied, saliva-dribbling punk of "Porcupine or Pineapple” is an achievement. The icing on the cake is the torch song finale of "No Return,” which feels like a completely different band entirely, building a vulnerable wall of reverb and strings accentuated by Eamon Hamilton’s tear-stained vocals. Again, they manage to cram all of this into the short span of 28 minutes, creating even more intrigue for this already fascinating group of gifted misfits.