(Indie Rock, Alternative) Braggarts - Exploring New Stars - 2017, MP3, 320 kbps

What works well in local clubs live does not necessarily have to be suitable for the international public. BRAGGARTS have regularly rehearsed their conventional four-minute compositions (on average for so long) through concerts and achieved successes in the Swiss province and beyond, gaining professionalism and still not making a breakthrough on a broad scale. Why is that?
Well, the group around songwriter Ralph Buetikofer has been copying the mannerisms that were once spontaneous musical outbursts for just over ten years, and this is what makes BRAGGARTS 'music in the year X after the commercialization of "alternative" or "indie" more or less superfluous; The songs may have been composed as watertight as ever and wrapped up in a befitting production of Major Caliber Reto Peter (GREEN DAY, etc.).
However, the resulting widescreen sound of "Exploring New Stars" does not conceal how consumed the ideas of the group are. 'Apologize' or 'Spleen' are a bit more sparkling than COLDPLAY and luckily do not bring any impersonator of Chris Martin to their ears, whereas the lump of 'Demons' and the half-acoustic slow-motion Schrammler 'Brothers' with his pathos lyrics are two annoyances Depreciate. The same applies to the eighth-capricious 'Waste of Time' (a hook as written for the hit parade) and 'Different Light', in which only the expansive chorus draws attention.
The synthetically thudding 'Voice Within', on the other hand, sounds quite cool, but unfortunately remains a stylistic outlier. In fact, BRAGGARTS are best if they do not even try to do something compelling with current electric guitars - hear the wavy 'Speed Of Sound', an unfortunately too seldom found bright spot on this album.
CONCLUSION: Radio alternative, but no alternative to rock music, which could prove by intensity off the norm as a real alternative - BRAGGARTS have "Exploring New Stars" written diligently and conserved in the studio, but come to bieder and "as ever heard" to find something nutritious on the meadow (not only) of PLACEBO and KEANE.