South Wales rockers Beyond The Break have only really just made their debut on to the scene, but already they’ve got people talking. The quartet, which is made up of members of other local bands Catatonia, 21 Against and Eleven, perform in a way that would appeal to fans of bands like Foo Fighters and Taking Back Sunday, but they do it with such unique vigour that it’s hard to label them a carbon copy.
The band’s recently released debut EP Pictures Of Losing Sleep is certainly doing its job of pleasing the crowds they’ve drawn so far, and after a listen through it’s hardly a surprising reaction. Opening with ‘Big Wait‘, listeners are hit with a dose of well-crafted hard rock and an unexpected level of smooth production. A lot of high-profile acts have clawed their way out of Wales and it would be only natural for people to start comparing one to the other — a difficult feat with Beyond The Break, however, as they’ve made sure they well and truly stick out from the crowd.
‘Mother Love‘ is up next, and the influences of 90s grunge and punk rock are very much apparent. Much like early Foo Fighters material, the melody in this track builds up, and ultimately creates at atmosphere that even more established bands can only dream about. Title track ‘Pictures Of Losing Sleep‘, however, will have you more focused on its wonderfully elaborate lyrics. Just one listen will have fans relating to the words, so its definitely a song just made for connecting audience with artist.
Things wrap up with ‘The Way It Was‘, and there’s no doubt that Beyond The Break are setting things up to go out with a bang. The guitar riffs are just delightful, and guitarist and singer Paul Jones delivers jaw-dropping vocals that will send chills down your spine. The tune as a whole is a foot-tapping, head-banging extravaganza, leading in to a bridge that absolutely packs wow factor.
It’s surprisingly really, to find such a well-developed record with first class production labelled as a ‘debut’. Beyond The Break surely know their stuff and have found a sound that they can truly work with, that in turns works back with them. Pictures Of Losing Sleep sadly only offers four tracks, but will decidedly have fans hungering for more as the band continue to find their bearings.
