Wake Up And Listen To The Breakdown’s ‘ALARM!’

A raucous guitar pop track is always a pleasure to listen to, and ‘ALARM!’, the new offering from The Breakdown, is a shining example.

It’s catchy and concise, and its brevity seems apt considering the title – it’s almost as though the band are racing through it as quickly as possible, on limited time.

It fizzes with energy throughout, and the inevitable consequence of that for the listener is that it’s nigh on impossible not to nod your head.

The ferocity of the music is matched by the lyrics - the vocalist’s innate energy is clear for all to hear, and it tumbles out in a frantic and relentless delivery. “The calm alarm inside my head/the ticking clocks and the things they said/they drive me insane when I’m on my own.” This imagery suggests pace and speed – it evidently intends to pack a punch, and that fits perfectly with the genre in question.

It’s compounded further on, where lighter images are juxtaposed with heavier ones: “Kicking in the long grass/like a triple bypass.” It seems the band have used every second of such a short track to its full lyrical potential, using each word to brilliant effect with the help of a great voice that more than does justice to the melody.

The lyrics seep through aggressive guitars, which adds to the track’s liveliness, and it’s hard not to get swept up in this.

Listeners may be taken aback by the rather sudden end, and their gut reaction to that is sure to be disappointment, but it’ll undoubtedly be intriguing to see what The Breakdown have to offer next.

Mason Hawker

@HawkerMason

Image: The Breakdown, ‘ALARM!’ Official Single Cover (PRESS)