Pure Noise Records seem to be pulling out some decent bands in their roster and Brigades was one I kept my eye on. With their fusion of pop punk and hardcore elements mixed together, I was drawn by their music as soon as I stumbled upon their EP, Crocodile Tears and damn was it good. But with their latest release of their debut LP, Indefinite, the outcome of it all was a little disappointing but nonetheless, this band has great potential.
If there’s anything I criticise bands for, it’s fusing together genres that work well but not being able to maintain my focus when it comes to listening to a full-length. Call me picky, but if the music does not have substance or there’s no ‘wow’ factor in the songs, I just see them as of mediocre standard. When I first heard the opening track of Indefinite, I thought to myself that this album held some promise with the title track having an enticing atmosphere and mystery with its subtle twanging of instruments. The song takes on a bunch of influences from great bands like Balance and Composureand Basement.
Keep on listening and you’ll find fast-paced tracks like “Knife Dance” and “Enemy” which are both punchy, in-your-face hits that are driven through its instrumentation. However there’s a sense of repetitiveness, pouring deeper into a mindless formula of written music that doesn’t speak much for itself with the empty drumming and guitar work going nowhere. It’s not like it’s bad, but repetition gets a little boring. you know? In the end, I feel like Brigades have lost themselves somewhere mid-range throughout the record and it’s unfortunate to see a band with great potential have their music lose listening value. “Not Until I’ve Flattened” is another number that feels like it’s been thrown in as a filler and the context of sound doesn’t really fit in the overall feel of the record. Through its entirety, I feel like the record speaks with emotion and heartache but with this song, you could easily judge it to be quite upbeat and friendly-speaking with its melodic guitar and drum work.
The entirety of the record isn’t all bad when you hear songs like “Running Blind” and “My Last Heart Attack”. These tracks are more mellow but perfectly showcase a great balance between pop punk and hardcore elements. There’s variety in instrumentation and captures a passage of emotive storytelling. There’s hidden beauty beneath both tracks as the thought and input is evident. There’s chemistry beneath the visionary lyrics and music.
Even if their debut album Indefinite didn’t showcase any of their best work, this band has the potential to come up with something better in their next album. They’re a band still figuring out what sound they want to develop and if there’s anything that goes by it, there are certain gems towards the end of the record that make some parts of Indefinite worth sticking around for.
Review Score: 6.0 out of 10.
Indefinite is available now.
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