ALBUM REVIEW: Sinecures – Brace

Released: 01.06.26

Image by Paul Dolan

Newcastle-based power trio Sinecures’ debut long player Brace is a record so steeped in the history of post-hardcore morality and discourse, uncompromising in intent and uninterested in crossover, as to be at times left swimming neck deep in a black and white lake.

But, Sinecures proffer a mathy version from the outer edges of the genre where lyrical tension (the dual vocals offer some fairly standard juxtapositions of urgency and restraint, confrontation and introspection) meets abrasive riffs for fans of, meh, Slint, Fugazi etc. I could offer a glossary of words, namely: taut, uncompromising, stark, visceral; or talk about opener Weathermaker – melodic, time signatures jumping around, wilfully off-key and so on; or some textbook balancing of crushing intensity with intricate, meditative detail elsewhere and throughout… And I wouldn’t be lying. Cellars is just bit too Quicksand-y, albeit with a finely crafted Helmet riff, while Input offers some fashionably eloquent spoken word backing vocals, socially aware lyrics with a really good instrumental segment – musically all over the place – it just all feels a little forced and too busy at times. This is not a System Of A Down record, less is sometimes more.

However, Capture is slower and calmer; a lull, and more immersive for it. Liars has another gentle instrumental outro and it’s the occasional reduction in tempo (and temper) that impresses and is where Brace somehow finds emotional solace amongst the swell of intentional musical discomfort and dislocation. Similarly, Sousterrain is a real highlight – shorter at two and a half minutes – fully instrumental as it gently builds into a descending Mogwai-esque arpeggio.

Sinecures do find the right balance on tracks like Offset – heavier but quieter – where the emotive vocals coexist with the angular melodies and jagged, unconventional musical harmonies. And, in that respect, Brace is a great album in the two things that matter in a genre long enough in the tooth to know, musical tonality and lyrical tone. Closer, Beast Wishes, is the most bass driven track here and also the densest in production perhaps hinting at a more maximalist string to the band’s bow beyond the traditional three-piece post-hardcore set-up but, for now, Sinecures are a welcome addition to the region’s harder edged music scene just as they are.