Five O'Clock Heroes - Bend To The Breaks

  by Adrian Huggins

published: 7 / 11 / 2006

---

‘Bend to the Breaks’ is the long awaited and much anticipated debut album from Anglo-American band Five O’Clock Heroes. These four guys show Tony Blair and George W. Bush a thing or two about how our respective countries can work well together, with each other, rather than one merely following the other. There is a definite feel of the music of both countries as well. Some of the songs such as ‘Head Games’ and ‘Number Again’ have a big American indie punk sound, while others such as ‘Time on My Hands’ and ‘Good Lovers’ scream of the British influence of such classic bands as the Clash and the Jam and also more modern Brit rockers like the Futureheads. The fact that the lead vocals come from the British side of the band with Anthony Ellis gives, with his very obvious accent, a very British feel to much of the music, but the American production of Eli Janney, who is best known for his work with Girls Against Boys, also shines through. This gives 'Bend to the Brakes' a simple no-nonsense feel without any of the over styled pretentiousness that sometimes seem to over flow from the likes of Razorlight. Yet for all their obvious influences Five 'O' Clock Heroes have their own distinct sound. You can imagine songs such as 'Corporate Boys' and 'skin Deep' sticking out on the radio and being recognisable for their up beat yet grounded feel. It is the sound of a band having fun and making their own potential indie classics. The band manage to fuse little bits of punk, ska, indie rock in a similar way to the Clash on 'London Calling', where n oone genre seemed to stick out. Any influences are brought out in a subtle way which the ‘Heroes have every right to call their own. Just when you think you’ve heard all the highlights of the album, one of the real stand out songs, ‘White Girls’ comes out of nowhere to let you know the Five 'O' Clock Heroes are a band who don’t let up at any point. This an album that could as well be a second or third album from a well established band. It certainly doesn’t feel like a first release. An excellent debut.

Track Listing:-

1 Head Games
2 Anybody Home
3 Time On My Hands
4 Run To Her
5 Want Your Number
6 Good Lovers
7 Skin Deep
8 Corporate Boys
9 Stay The Night
10 White Girls
11 In Control
12 Give It Up

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg