T on the Fringe: Breaks Co-Op @ Cabaret Voltaire

At times, a great band bursts out from the warm soft rock: overall, they play safe and do not build on the fiery interludes.

Article by Gareth K Vile | 14 Aug 2006
In spite of their name, Breaks Co-Op's live set is not hip-hop. Fleshing out the sparse sound with drummer, bassist and two guitarists, they trade on exquisite pastoral harmonies and anthemic rocking out. They create an atmospheric grandeur, yet fail to capture a consistent majesty or passion.

Their use of turntables and samples is unimaginative; many of their songs slip into a mid-tempo apathy. Hamish Clark's intermittent raps are pedestrian, distracting from the mellow cheerfulness of Andy Lovegrove's falsetto. On rockers like Question of Freedom they threaten and cajole convincingly as duelling guitars introduce urgency and tension. Their folky encores return the band to the middle of the road and send the audience away content but uninspired.

Before the start of the show, Beats Co-Op DJed their favourite tunes, challenging the audience to be impressed. They admitted that this is a dangerous strategy, and the subsequent performance did not surpass the excitement of the recorded selection. At times, a great band bursts out from the warm soft rock: overall, they play safe and do not build on the fiery interludes.
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