Breton - Other People's Problems

South East London based band, Breton, only formed in 2010 but already have a substantial portfolio, including 3 EPs, a handful of live shows and several uniquely crafted videos. Only now they are signed to Fatcat Records are this hotly-tipped band releasing their debut album: Other People's Problems, which includes their singles 'Edward the Confessor' and 'Interference'.

Breton has already released three videos to accompany this album, which probably has something to do with their background in film-making and design work for other bands. The ability to work with different creative media shows in their music as well, making Other Peoples Problems difficult to place - it doesn't fit neatly into any one genre.

According to iTunes, Other Peoples Problems is dance and house music. It has plenty of synthesised bass and electronic sounds that push it towards dance, but doesn't really sound how you might expect a dance album to sound. For the most part, it wouldn't sound right in a club - it's too slow and downbeat to work somewhere like that. Because of the multitude of influences and crossing of genres, it seems more like the sort of music that would work at home with friends or as a soundtrack to a movie.

For anyone who liked Gorillaz 2011 album The Fall, Other Peoples Problems is definitely worth a listen. Both albums share a rough-around-the-edges, DIY sort of sound and are interwoven with melancholic melodies. The drawling vocals of '2 Years', and 'Electrician' are reminiscent of Damon Alban's hypnotic flow in 'Little Pink Plastic Bags' and 'California and the Slipping of the Sun'. This, along with lyrics like "My first two lessons were easy, but now I'm dreading what I'll face with the third" and chants of "Whatever happened?", it might sound like Other Peoples Problems is an irredeemably depressing album. However, it has a scattering of upbeat tracks that rescue it from simply being 40 minutes of audio misery.

Overall, Other Peoples Problems is a great listen, varied and a very strong debut album. Even for people who aren't usually into electronic sounds in their music, it could be a great album because its composition is eclectic, and is quite a refreshing sound.