Breakout – A none more 80s song, with its shout along gang vocals, prominent synth pattern and powerchord riffs … whether you think it sounds dated or classic depends I suppose on how much you liked the 80s! The verses are robbed of momentum slightly by the gaps between lines, a problem remedied in the second verse by the use of the “Woah-oh-oh” hook, which then throws up the additional problem of the hook being overused. The best parts of this song are the breaks and builds …. First the build up of voices, synths, and finally guitar after the second chorus and into the guitar solo is masterful, and it’s at this point that the bass sounds absolutely thunderous; and the outro building to a guitar climax then fading out is also particularly effective. Some good parts in this song, but this is one case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

3/5