‘Start At The End’ opens with a cacophony of seemingly random noises before fading into a more enjoyably fast-paced aural entity. The relatively simple lyrical constructions, such as “it’s coming back around / it’s coming back around again”, allow for full appreciation of the meaty riffs which hold this song together. It’s a confident and assured opener to the album Move a Mountain, by drum and bass duo Breaking Waves.
Of course, any drum and bass duo at present is predictably going to be compared to Royal Blood. But to be so narrow-minded would mean ignoring the minefield of musical influences which have evidently shaped Breaking Waves’ sound. In fact we would forgive you for thinking that there was more than two of them, for between them they manage to make a hell of an impact with intense tracks like ‘Everything I Worry About’, which has the substance to become a setlist essential; the impatient beat paired with the lyrics brings immediate associations with Jimmy Eat World’s ‘The Middle’. With the track coming to a short, sharp conclusion, it’s like being on a roller coaster as it joltingly pulls back into the station.
‘Savour’ has more of a Biffy Clyro-esque tone to it, with husky emotive utterances from Phil Ireland throughout well balanced with Adam Darwen’s complimentary backing vocal. The use of cymbals means the duo avoid falling into the trap of producing a sameish sounding record, something which can’t be said of Royal Blood’s eponymous debut. The lyrics “I’m gonna sing / be last of us to wait for something / we’re gonna ring the bells to wake up everything” are undoubtedly ones to sing passionately along to whilst drumming on your steering wheel, whether you’re waiting in a traffic jam or driving down an American highway. Even more pacified – on first impressions at least – is ‘The Flow (I Go Back Again)’, further evoking the husky whispering of Simon Neil in the mind of the listener. The melodic hook is quite soporific, so it’s a surprise when the track starts to pick up pace around the two minute mark; a surprise which works well, nonetheless.
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‘Quicksand’ turns it down a notch; a broodingly sinister melody is coupled with an abrasive beat and angsty vocal. It’s got the catchiness of some of YMAS’ earlier material (think ‘Underdog’ era) but falls short of the rest of the album, alongside the title track ‘Move A Mountain’ and album closer ‘Step On Toes’, both which have too much going on melodically for them to really stick in the listener’s mind. Ireland’s vocal borders on shouty at points, suggesting that the bands greatest strength is the more layered tracks, which allow listeners to immerse themselves in the musical elements bit-by-bit, rather than throwing them straight in at the deep end.
Overall, an incontestable standout is ‘Warp The World’, with a sinister undulating rhythm – this is the sort of song you could imagine being the soundtrack to a zombie or horror film. There’s something Matt Bellamy-esque in the elongated way Ireland delivers the lyrics, yet the track needed to end at 3:01; despite the resonating message “you know when it’s over, it’s over / but you can’t move on”, it seems like this track doesn’t really know when it’s time to call it a day and move on. Another highlight track is the brazenly honest ‘Everyone Else Is Taken’, which really comes into its own with a reduplicated “might as well” chorus effect giving the track a stadium-worthy sheen.
By no means is Move a Mountain by Breaking Waves the hottest record in the world right now. That said, it’s still bloody good.
Words by Beth Kirkbride