Bracket is a rock band from Forestville, California that gives us power pop in the tradition of Superdrag, Extreme and Sugarbomb or more simply put, Bracket combines buzzsaw punk guitar with heavenly harmonies. The band has been around since the early ’90s consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Marty Gregori, bassist and backing vocalist Zack Charlos, drummer Ray Castro and guitarist and backing vocalist Angelo Celli. The arrangements have a rich baroque feel, performed with an aggressive guitar attack at the forefront – a trick few bands can do convincingly.
It grows on you like moss, starting with the vocal multi-tracked “Not A Pear” the brilliant harmonies and ukelele strum coming forward. “Caving In” and “The Light” have catchy melodies led by a riff attack in each chorus. “She’s My Eraser” adds a Jellyfish-like composition to the mix. The bands range is also impressive, “Mandy Lynn” is at its most romantic while “The Opportunist” is a fast paced punk effort. However the album is best represented by the pensive, layered songs like “My Phantom Limb” being my favorite highlight. The latter half gets a bit more influence from The Beach Boys Smile-era with “Daddy-in-Law” and “A Striking Disappearance.” Then “Gone” and “Habit” are epic musical journeys along the lines of Queen or Lollipop Factory. The songs seamlessly blend into each other, almost to a fault. But if you liked any of the bands I mentioned above, then Hold Your Applause is required listening. Highly Recommended.
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