Melbourne experimental psych/electronic rock trio BREVE have just released an anticipated debut album in ‘Nothing Stays The Same’. Recorded over a handful of sleepless nights late last year, it’s now ready to see the light of day thanks to a little help from mixer Dougal Shaw and mastery by Simon Lam of Kllo and I’lls fame.
It’s a record we’ve been looking forward to from this outfit, and proves to be an expectedly dark gem, pegged by BREVE as akin to a David Lynch soundtrack. As detailed below, it touches on some very personal and introspective themes, with lyrics steeped in politics and a drive for change. The album caps off a big year for the outfit, which saw them tour both locally and internationally, including a slot at the Secret Garden Party.
Having returned home, they’ll be playing an album launch party 8pm this Saturday at Ding Dong Lounge, and to get in the mood to hear this new batch of tracks live we’ve got thoughts from the band on each and every one.
Konecrane
Konecrane is our one and only instrumental number. Around the time we were recording the album we were kicking off our live set with this one, complete with elongated synth/vocal intro, so when it came to lay out the album and hoping to capture that live feel, it only felt natural to start it the same. Complete with samples of Tony Abbott saying ‘Lifestyle Choice’ and other absurdities, kind of sets the ‘tone’ for the rest of the album, eh?
Introverse
Introverse is a song about songs and what the songs mean in my head. It’s introspective, I guess it’s kind of referring to the escapism and clarity I get from writing, getting it out of my brain and unburdening myself from the weight that’s been accumulating. It’s kind of a preface to the rest of the album. A bit of a “Hi, welcome to the show, this is what’s coming up. Sit back, relax, take it easy”.
Cold Sweat
A bit of a reprieve from the last two tracks. Turning it down a notch. This is a song about some prick you love a lot but they like a bit of drama in their life even though they preach peace and love and all that. It’s not really condemning that duality, it’s accepting it and saying “I’m going to try to support you either way but you’re makin’ it tough.”
Nothing Stays The Same
This is a song about change: “The Earth’s got a new crust of crap, we’ve got the sandstone, the limestone, the trash.”. A bit of a relentless track with Mathias’ pummelling drums and Toby’s ripping chainsaw bass cutting through the second verse like a fucking tree-lopper in the Amazon. I like the dissonant guitar parts in the chorus, also the na-na- na’s and all that is pretty comical. This is our rock anthem. Na-na- na, yeah, nah.
Nothing is Permanent
Nothin’s Perm is taking the foot off the accelerator again and kind of going deeper into those similar themes from Nothin’ Stays. It’s an existential number, I guess I was having some kind of crisis at the time and dwelling on the transitory nature of human life. This one’s a bit more pleasant on the ears but we obviously couldn’t resist having some kind of (mental) breakdown at the end. The hallmark of a quality BREVE track is to destroy it at some point. We didn’t fuck this one up too badly.
Movement
Kind of a thematic follow on from the previous two. Movement is all about chaos, the pace of modern urban life making you feel like you’re losing the plot or spinning out of control or chewing off your own ear or something. It’s kind of more about realizing that and choosing to own it. This was the first synth heavy song we ever wrote. Decommissioned the guitar for half the track at least.
Human
Another heavy, rock-y number. This one is carrying on down the same slippery slope then reaching a plateau and kind of embracing you’re humanity and you’re impermanence. “Inhale my uncertainty. I’m an offshore white wash mist, feathered and dissipating.” It’s a kind of erratic song but for me it’s calming. If this album was the process of coming to terms with transience or death, this song is acceptance.
Connected
This was fun, more synth jams, vocal loops, backwards guitars. It’s pretty weird but there was something endearing about that popping and spluttering sound, made by a gated arpeggio line on the Juno 60. We wrote this song 100% in the studio and it snuck it’s way onto the album. I guess if the previous track is acceptance then this is the inevitable backlash. It’s using social media as an archetype for human connection and going “well, if that’s humanity then I don’t want any part in it.”
Feel
She’s a slow burn. A long, creepy instrumental building into a nice melodic part then the rhythm section are off their synths and back into the pummeling and chainsaws and all that stuff. I guess this song is about being numb, desensitized, oversaturated. It’s seeing life from the perspective of that prick from Cold Sweat on a Sunday. He’s asking himself “am I heartless or do I just feel the need to feel something”. Sometimes he just fucks things up so that he can feel alive. Hence both of his songs come complete with absurd solos.
Elevate
This song was built around an old recording I took of an escalator. There’s something hypnotic and strangely uplifting about that repetitive rhythm. Just plodding along. A kind of hopeful end to a dark album: “I want the fire and I’m taking names”. That prick dragged himself through the cold and the wet and there’s a flame at the end. His cold heart’s starting to thaw out. He’s warming up his fingers and toes. Everything’s gonna be fine.
