Whether it’s the more levitational sonic swells of previous clip Mind Tease or the post rock ambience of She Gets Around, Melbourne trio Breve have situated themselves between influences with ambient leaning experimental rock.
Stripping back gauzier sonic textures however, their new single Nothing Stays the Same favours some rawer rock edge, and it’s brand new accompanying film clip echoes the entropic themes of the album of the same name. Churning layers of instrumentals linger in stasis, contributing to a dismal and dejected mood.
Puppets have never been so ominous as they are in Breve’s new video for Nothing Stays The Same. This ain’t no game – you’ve been warned.
Foregrounding caustic riffs and swirling dissonance, the track lures the listener into an ominous soundscape. There may be some slight hints of the sonic influence of Black Sabbath’s Electric Funeral within track’s Doom-laden motifs, pummelling rhythms and sludgy low end rumbles. A meandering tempo conveys knots of burning frustration. Yet rather than opting for a volcanic climax Breve’s track seemingly self-destructs, listlessly ebbing into ambient oblivion.
Harmonic progression incessantly withholds sonic payoff or resolution. The ironic contrast of circular chorus line “Nothing stays the same / We’re in a constant state of change,” hammers home this sonic malaise.
There’s a fevered introspection to frontman Dougal Shore’s damaged croon as he rails against political ineptitude and social stagnation. Akin to trash-rock antecedents Roland S. Howard or Gareth Liddiard, these fevered lamentations drag onward, just barely staving off a slur. Yet behind these lofty reflections on society’s indifference, the overall feel of the track may resonate more closely with the monotonous grind of everyday life.
Despite the finger pointing lyricims, there’s something which slides inward to a more introspective crisis. Beneath the central conflict there’s a frustrating feeling that we’re complicit, mired in entrapment in of our own consumerism, lethargy and social expectations.
Visually the clip may take some cues from David Bowie’s Where Are We Now? with its puppets, projections and eerie atmospherics. As with its sonic accompaniment, dejection permeates.
Glitchy, hazy and weathered visuals add to surrealistic feelings of degradation and despair. Projections of the band’s energetic performance stand trapped within twisted mannequin forms.
Despite their physical manifestation of protest, they remain bound within their own unmoving avatars.
Disregrding the alamitous overtones there are still plenty of monolithic riffs and progressive lifts to enjoy on Nothing Stays The Same. The group continue to demonstrate aptitude for weaving brooding atmospherics. In all there are plenty of dismal returns to be found within this lo-fi buzz. Breve’s expressive sonic interplay captures perfectly that sinking feeling of seething frustration.
Breve are currently on tour in the UK – check them out at the following dates:
