Bracket

Although Bracket write some of the catchiest pop on the planet, and even though When All Else Fails is one of the best pop records of all time, Live in a Dive comes across as just another label novelty item. The true highlight should be the live recording and the mixture of material contained during the performance. However, that plays second best to the real feature of the CD, the booklet containing all the comic book illustrations. It’s not that the essence of Bracket wasn’t captured justly at Bottom of the Hill in 1999, it’s just that the CD really only serves as a one-time listen and the comic book illustrations come across as the most interesting feature here. Sure, it looks good, it sounds good, it’s Bracket and it’s on Fat, but for some reason it’s just missing something quintessential: repeat listening. If this is Fat Wreck Chords first volume in their Live in a Dive series, hopefully their next volume will be more enticing and exciting.