The name of one member of this Anglo-New Zealand trio, Zane Lone is one that modern radio and MTV connoisseurs will instantly recall. He often waxes lyrical with the more robust and frenetic outfits of the modern indie genre, so it may surprise you to discover that The Breaks Co-op prefer to tread the slow and dusty end of this market.  Most of the numbers tend to grow from a laid back and reaching percussion based grounding, such as that in ‘Wonder’. Andy Lovegrove’s mid-tempo folk with a undertone of soul vocals lends some hearty longing to the likes of ‘Settle Down’, to proffer a mundane touch. ‘The Otherside’ slides alongside the ranging pop/folk feel of the Hothouse Flowers that seeps through in Lovegrove’s vocals, as they sit up on a higher than normal pitch, to allow the prominently melodious acoustic backing to playfully stroll around the singing.

Tenderness is wrapped up in the weaving acoustic gift of ‘A Place For You’, resurrecting the effortless and comforting nature of ‘Simon & Garfunkel’, providing a restful interlude to give you time to contemplate life and the meaning of it. A Four Tet styled art/spacey experiment centres on ‘A Question Of Freedom’ and ‘Ima’ to make this outfit an epicentre of bold musical openness and broadness. The Breaks Co-op have planted a seed of discovery with this album and it is surely only going to grow and grow.

David Adair