Bracket - Hold Your Applause

Bracket

Hold Your Applause
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Bracket has been together since the early ‘90s and the band is familiar with creating, touring, performing and releasing music collectively under their title. Based out of California, Hold Your Applause is the band’s latest release and they claim to produce pop punk sounds. Yet while listening, one could argue that there are some surf rock and rock-a-billy tones hidden within the wavelengths of this album. Some songs definitely make you want to get down and dirty while others are a bit more emotional and slowed down. While listening to Hold Your Applause I am reminded of other bands like Death From Above 1979 and Ty Segall Band.

A song on their album with an undeniable punk persona is “The Opportunist.” The song begins with a super high-energy rhythm and some determined drum action. The fuzzy garage rock band sound of the vocals give the song a unique and very quintessential punk band character. The song is super catchy and makes me want to dance like a mad woman; this song would be so much fun to see performed live. 

In contrast, the following song “Fairweathered Friend” starts off with a dreamy and somewhat psychedelic melody before the equally transcendental vocals are introduced. Then before you know it, a swell of punk vibes comes in to save the day and wash away any rationality you previously held. Then yet again, there is another plateau of softness that brings you back to reality before throwing you into the madness again; “farewell fairweathered friend you’re dragging me down, so goodbye cruel world, I’m in love with a girl, and I think she loves me!” This song is totally a trip to vibe to. 

There’s something hiding within the sounds of Bracket; it’s a weird combination of punk rock, vintage surf rock vibes and pop rock music all fused into one to create a new post-modern breed of punk music. Each song has its own riffs and high-energy grooves to get lost in and the lyrics are equally fun to ride “fight your fears, lose your thoughts, the truth is cold some like it hot.” Anyone into any kind of rock or punk will dig this album; just don’t forget to Hold Your Applause.

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