
Braken - We Know About The Need [Anticon - 2007]Bracken's debut album finds Anticon further mining a mix of downbeat indie and Electronica, Really severing all ties with their Hip-Hop heritage, though I guess you could say that some of the beat work still has glancing hip-hop traits. Weather or not you’ll enjoy this, comes down to how far you’re willing to follow the label further off the path. For my self I found this a real grower and one of the more rewarding releasers on Anticon of late. It has such a great melancholy air running though out, Like The Cure or Goth shoe gazing indie reborn into glitchy and drunken electroinca, which aptly mixes in some interesting experimental touches. I guess it’s like if you took Dose Ones vocals out of 13 & God, sanded down the hip-hop sensibilities and went a little more morosely upbeat. It also has more than its fair share of tuneful moments, which you’ll no doubt find your self humming along to. I guess you could call this is apocalyptic pop for the end times, as it really does revel and dance in the shadows of its own downfallen grace. Of interest to those who enjoy indie/ Electronica crossbreed and gloomy but hummable music. Lets hope Anticon can keep up the high quality of this first release of 2007, through out the rest of the year.      Roger Batty
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