Blossoming from the chrysalises of British Sea Power and Electric Soft Parade, Brakes have already set a benchmark for innovative British indie music with their blistering first record Give Blood. You would say Brakes essentially do punk but for their second release, The Beatific Visions, they have taken to grasping at other genres like a hyperactive child in the village sweet shop. In this instance the aroma of Nashville and Southern culture is especially prevalent. Where fellow Rough Trade act Scritti Politti fused reggae and punk by gorging on the plump cadaver of roots music, Brakes have chosen to snack on the succulent breast of country and western. Even more than ever before, they are now a rabble-rousing knee-slapping rock and rolling country-pop-punk band.

This is a band that does things by halves, but in a good way. Cheney, dedicated to war-monger Donald Rumsfield on this occasion, lasts just ten seconds long and consists entirely of the lyric “stop being such a dick”. This punk ethic doesn’t initially seem to be compatible with their country folk sound but the majority of country artists are clearly more punk than the straight-laced middle class troubadours that have recently claimed to be punk. I’m not looking at anyone, Sandi Thom. This is a theme that they are only too aware of. Heard About Your Band is a damning indictment of someone who talks shit and brags about sharing a taxi with Karen O. For your information, this clown has recently been outed as Dominic Masters of The Others.

Most of the applause is reserved for the early material but a wily cover of Camper van Beethoven and latest single Hold Me In The River also draw almighty rounds of appreciative applause. Another big track Porcupine or Pineapple sees the diminutive lead singer launch a pineapple into the audience. As an analogy this works well. Brakes offer undercurrents of sweetness but the ferocity of delivery and constant lurching across musical styles is often upsetting.