Album Review... Breton - War Room Stories

Breton’s debut album, ‘Other People’s Problems’, released in 2012, was definitely one of the more experimental and unique sounding records this side of the ‘noughties’. Two years on and Breton release their follow up album, ‘War Room Stories’, on February 3rd. It’s a hard one to grasp hold of at first but, give it time and you’ll realise this is a more matured twist of direction by the London quintet.

Prior to making the album, the five-piece relocated themselves to an ex-Communist radio station in Berlin. The location has evidently influenced the sound of the album and it’s title couldn’t be more fitting. To help create the album, the band have equipped themselves with the 44-piece Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra which feature heavily throughout the album - sometimes too heavily. Similarities arise from Everything Everything’s ‘Arc’, in that the use of orchestra appears on the surface to have mellowed the band, but this in fact hasn’t hindered Breton.

‘Envy’ cuts straight into the album and is a strange opener as it’s so distant from all other songs on the album. It has a Foals-like jumpiness and the up lifting string plucks are veering it towards a pop song. On the contrary, ‘Legs and Arms’, throws all its limbs into your face for very different reasons; it’s dramatic strings urging you to believe that time is running out, and that’s only three songs in. Previously released single, ‘Got Well Soon’, is similarly upfront and clumpy, containing left over trails from one of the bands earliest tracks, ‘Edward The Confessor’. As the debut single on the album, this doesn’t exactly spell a new phase for the band, which may disappoint some. Luckily though, the rest of the album has enough new wheels turning and sparks flying to allow Breton not to suffer the ‘second album syndrome’.  

There are fizzes of excitement in, ‘National Grid’, which almost feels like your dodging lasers, or Communist gun fire, if you like. Equivalently, in, ‘S Four’, a frenzy of synth and orchestral strings underlay questioning lyrics, ‘how can I be in two places at once?’. Either sides of these audible storms comes occasional calms; ‘Closed Category’, is a gentle stroll that surfaces into Breton’s most epic piece yet and the solid drum beat in, ‘Search Party’, is calling out for a rammed festival tent. Perhaps the strangest track on the album comes in the form of ‘Watch Towers’, which intertwines clattering wind chime sounds with wails that could be taken straight out of a Bollywood film. 

It goes without saying that the location of recording, the Berlin radio station that was active during the Cold War, has been crucial to how the album has turned out. At times you almost feel as if you’re experiencing the ins and outs of war yourself. ‘Brothers’ gives the feeling of being enclosed underground in the intimate conditions of the radio station before breaking into probably the most up lifting moment of the album - a sort of strange tropical gospel choir. In other parts lead singer, Roman Rappak, could be broadcasting his own propaganda through his imperative vocals, ‘return, return, return’, which sound as if they’ve been muffled by a visor. These lyrics conclude an album which doesn’t quite have the chaotic unpredictability of ‘Other People’s Problems’, but it does have genuine beauty. Breton’s return, for now, is bright.

By Josh Shreeve [https://twitter.com/JJShreeve]

Breton - War Room Stories
Out of 10: 8/10

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