What a difference a year makes. Since their first release “Eudaemonia” in 2011, The Breton Sound have been named Paste Magazine’s “12 Louisiana bands you should listen to” and have fine tuned their arena ready sound with the latest EP release “Maps (or cartography and the art of generalization)”.
Ok so I have to admit it’s been over a year since “Eudaemonia”, but the generational gap between both “Maps” and “Eudaemonia” is astounding. Don’t get me wrong, “Lines” + “No More Worries” from their debut are two of my favorite TBS songs to date, it’s the cohesive nature of the tracks jammed packed into “Maps” that makes it a true tour de force.
Since it’s release yesterday, I’ve been taking every opportunity to break down the tracks and really give them my undivided ear. As I hit repeat the first and then the second time, I found the record was driven by a purpose just as much as it was by the instruments. The most ingenious decision made on the whole record was the use of the brilliantly named separation track “Interludacris” which leads you directly back into the perfectly executed harmony and instantly memorable “Brighter Than The Sun”. It’s one of my favorite tracks I’ve heard this year period. I caught myself singing it aloud waiting in line for coffee, at the bank, and helping old ladies to the car with their groceries at Whole Foods.