Brkn Love “Brkn Love” Review

Brkn Love
“Brkn Love ”
Spinefarm Records
Released : February 14, 2020

While today’s youth seem obsessed with the culture of the 80s, Brkn Love are focusing more on the 90s rock scene.

Seemingly heavily influenced by the Seattle grunge scene, and pulling influence from the grandiose giants of that musical movement such as Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains and a touch of Screaming Trees. Fuzzy guitar riffs on occasion hint at Queens Of The Stone Age and at times, sing along passages reminiscent of Billy Talent can be found, especially on tracks like “Toxic Twin”. Which is one of the stronger tracks on the record, by the by.

On other tracks, such as “Complicated”, the listener is thrown back to the days of Bush. Especially in the bass line. This is also a track with a fun and relateable chorus and probably a highlight of the record.

At just 21 years old, Toronto native Justin Benlolo is just beginning. And as a debut album, this is a mightily impressive set of tunes. Benlolo is a talent on the guitar and the microphone and I imagine success is just a matter of finding ears willing to listen. Luckily for him, because he dropped out of high school to focus on this dream. Something I wouldn’t recommend. The music business is a dangerous place to play. Perhaps somebody like Danko Jones or Our Lady Peace will consider taking their provincial pals out on the road.

Brkn Love’s self-titled debut record has several tracks that I could easily see getting air time on rock radio. “Flies In The Honey” especially, could help drive away the rush hour blues, with its foot stomping, steering wheel taping good rhythm’s. This is an album that could translate well to hockey arenas, perhaps as an opening slot act.

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Borrowing influence isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending what the artist does with the influences and where it is taken. Nothing is new enough to be considered original anymore, anyway. It’s all been done. And thankfully, artists can still walk these lines without sounding like a cover band or tribute artist. I once read that we, as humans, are influenced by those around us as we influence those around us. Surely, that would apply to music and the arts we surround ourselves with too.

As a whole, I believe we are witnessing the start of something special here. Big-riffs and heart felt lyrics. Caught somewhere between catchy rock anthems and slower-tempo love ballads, “Brkn Love” is a record that will appeal to a wide enough audience to sustain itself. Many artists remain slow time because the pigeonhole themselves into a certain category. Which isn’t necessary  a negative – not everybody was built to play to a mainstream audience, thankfully. That isn’t case here, however.

Brkn Love certainly are not treading new ground here, but they do bring a fresh take on a solid period in rock history, and that alone warrants a serious listen.

For fans of : Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Billy Talent
Track listing :

01. I Can’t Lie
02. I See Red
03. Shot Down
04. Flies In The Honey
05. Papercuts
06. Seventeen
07. Toxic Twin
08. Complicated
09. Oxygen
10. Don’t Panic
11. In Your Hands

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