Braid's second full-length, The Age of Octeen, exudes a passion and roughness reminiscent of high school.
From the boyish shouted/sung vocals to the straightforward, punk-influenced guitars to the lyrics dealing with failed relationships and memories, the album has an unpolished, garage-band energy.
Although the album has that raw quality, there isn't a weak track on it.
The first track, "My Baby Smokes," starts with quiet, mumbled lyrics, rolling drums, and understated guitars before bursting into wailing vocals backed by a wall of sound.
"American Typewriter" is a little more complex with its tight, staccato drumming and quick guitar riffs.
"Chandelier Swing" and "Autobiography" close the album on a quieter, more thoughtful note.
Overall, The Age of Octeen is a solid effort that manages to capture the abandon and freedom of being 19.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | My Baby Smokes | Braid | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 2 | Jimmy Go Swimmer | Braid | Play | 02:25 | 5 MB | 18 MB |
| 3 | Movie Clock Star | Braid | Play | 05:45 | 13 MB | 40 MB |
| 4 | Eulalia, Eulalia | Braid | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 5 | Harrison Ford | Braid | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 6 | American Typewriter | Braid | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 25 MB |
| 7 | The Chandelier Swing | Braid | Play | 03:24 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 8 | Autobiography | Braid | Play | 01:04 | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| 9 | Ninteen 75 | Braids | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 10 | Divers | Braids | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 11 | Grace Car Part One | Braids | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 38 mins | 87 MB | |||||
| 38 mins | 261 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig Abell | Photography, Video |
| 2 | Braid | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |