The Break Mission

Album Review

Surprisingly few American bands have signed on to the successful trend of British pop bands who favor minor key piano-based melodies and quietly earnest vocals to the more brash, guitar-based mopery of the American emo bands. Kind of surprising, since Coldplay sell a lot more records than even Bright Eyes; one would think this was a bandwagon worth jumping. In lesser hands, the self-titled debut by the Break Mission would be considered just that, but the Boston foursome led by guitarist/pianist Jeff Knowlton doesn't just go the Keane route and try to be Coldplay Lite. Amid all the gloom of hazy, atmospheric tunes like "This Is Detachment" (which has strong elements of both Scottish depressives Snow Patrol and the darker side of Death Cab for Cutie), there are songs here with the spiky insistence of the assertive guitar rocker "Echo" and the delicacy of the whispery, mostly acoustic "Collecting Small Victories." Although the Break Mission is still at a point where they're best discussed in terms of their influences, their debut album is strong enough to bode well for their future.