It kicks off superbly with the stormy single 'Devastate Me', where a fiery no-nonsense attitude matches up with a monster chorus and the sort of heaving riffage that brings to mind The Breeders, Garbage and other alt rock heroes. The singles are perhaps curveballs, for there is a lot of light, calm and melody as well as the heavier elements. The more introspective likes of 'Strong Enough' contrast nicely with songs like the explosive 'Undone', which rages at loss and the injustices of life, and the melancholic Britpop track ''. Kidd can switch from marvellous electronics on the dreamy, Dubstar-like 'Fortify' to dirty grunge riffage on 'Weary Bird' with ease, while alt-rock with delicate shades of The Sundays develop into something heavier on ''. With its sweet ukelele, 60s pop vibes, the melodic '' is almost reminiscent of underrated late 90s indie outfit Theaudience, which certainly isn't a bad thing in my book. Elsewhere, the brooding, angular, atmospherics on '' break into a lively chorus, and the intense, emotional '' has 90s indie flavours all over the solo. The sparse, orchestral closer 'Miles Away' is another highlight, bringing to mind the masterful arrangements of the Eels in places
Drawing on personal experiences, the state of the world and society as well as a fine range of well-picked influences, 'Brace For Impact' continues Laura Kidd's run of impressive self-released albums. I'll give it a strong 7.8/10
