Breakwater / Closure | Connective Tissue 1996

Breakwater

(Victoria, BC, Canada)

Jode Shortreed
Steve Simard
Carey Mercer

Closure

(New York)

Trevor Perry (Vocals)
Adam Gutwein (Guitar)
Mike Treff (Guitar)
Mark Spelbur (Bass)
Dave Spelbur (Drums)

Basic Info:

Release Date: 1996
Label: Mountain Records
Runtime: 9:31
-Breakwater: 7:12
-Closure: 6:44
Tracks: 3
-Breakwater: 1
-Closure: 2

Genres, Influences and Characteristics:

Screamo, Emo, Post-Rock, Melodic, Raw, Dynamic, Lofi

Points on the Timeline:

Almost all of Breakwater’s other material was released in 1995, a demo and a single that contains two songs from the demo. Barring the song Twelve that appears on a comp, this is their only other recorded track. Closure had just formed before this EP dropped and would only last one more year with a full-length album.

Shapes in the Sound:

Melodic, long-form, Post-Rock-driven Screamo with tons of dynamic intensity is found on both sides of this excellent split. Breakwater’s passionate track is a heartbreaking journey of soft vocals and cathartic screams, melodic lead lines and heavy, dissonant chord progressions and devastating crescendos. Closure is a bit more straightforward in their songwriting but features incredibly driving rhythms, heavier production and more bounciness. Though quite contrasted, these two bands complement each other. MAGIC TURTLE!

Threads in the Tapestry:

I initially assumed Victoria was on the East Coast of Canada, which would make sense considering the ties to New York. However, I learned that these two bands were at least 2,500 miles apart, so we’re spanning quite a bit of continent here. Breakwater contributed a track to the same Mountain Records comp as Closure, which is how I imagine they became connected. This split represents cross-country scene building and demonstrates Screamo’s other tendency towards melody and dynamism, compared with some of the heavier bands during this time pushing Emoviolence and other more extreme forms of Screamo.

Breakwater - Demo | The Shape of Screamo to Come

Release Information:

1995
Independent
Victoria, BC, Canada
Runtime: 25:12
Tracks: 5

Band Members:

Jode Shortreed
Steve Simard
Dave Truscott
Dave Wenger

Genres, Influences and Characteristics:

Screamo, Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Midwest Emo, Lofi, Dynamic, Atmospheric, Cold

Musical Analysis:

Despite its less-than-ideal recording conditions, Breakwater’s Demo showcases a potent Punk cocktail of Screamo, Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock and Midwest Emo, many of these genres in their infancy. Extended instrumental passages of twinkly arpeggios comprise the bulk of the softer, quieter sections, acting as a depressive glue for the fiercer, louder moments. The interplay between these intensities is as suffocating and disorienting as it is beautiful, and with each song averaging just over five minutes, there’s lots of room for each track to breathe and reach its destination naturally.

Historical Analysis:

Straddling the line between burgeoning genres like Screamo and Midwest Emo, their eclectic mix is fairly common now, but in 1995, this was revolutionary. If anything, this release showcases the shared history of all Emo subgenres and their connection to Post-Hardcore and Hardcore Punk. In that sense, this obscure Canadian collection of songs is a revolutionary album, despite being lesser-known than their Five / Seven single (which are both on this demo). Introducing lengthy Post-Rock elements was also quite novel, though it would become genre-defining in just a few short years.

Lyrical Analysis:

Breakwater's straightforward and frank lyrics may not seem all that special at first glance, but spouting such introspective rhetoric wasn't hugely common, at least without some social or political underpinnings. That isn’t to say the songs are apolitical, rather they focus on the personal side of generational hardships, helplessness, corrosive love and even the sting of truth. Their directness and sincerity make the lyrics digestible for almost anyone who listens.