Brazil's debut EP "Dasein", while enjoyable, was ultimately too derivative and uninspired to really differentiate them in the now highly competitive emo rock scene. Having now heard their full-length follow-up though, it would prove to have been a humble start, leaving little indication of what the group were actually capable of. With "A Hostage And The Meaning Of Life", the transformation from scruffy emocore band to forward thinking prog tinged indie rock outfit is like night and day. Backed by colorful instrumentation, engaging song writing, and the cunning production of Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, Melvins), this album is clearly perched to turn some heads.

If there were chains attached to the works of At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta and "The Rising Tide" era Sunny Day Real Estate, Brazil would appear to be the center link. At times operatic and accomplished and at others spiraling into prog-rock innuendo and instrumentation heavy experimentalism, the group are as ambitious as they are talented. Rooted mainly in the jagged chaotic rock one would expect of an outfit styled in the teachings of At The Drive-In, the material here is actually a bit more expansive than one would expect. Indeed more often than not the tracks are dizzyingly layered with everything from horns to various types of keys and synth, all of which comprise a progressive whirlwind of sharply cut indie rock.

There's no denying that Brazil wear their influences on their sleeve. The material here isn't exactly a formula they devised by themselves, but while they may not have written the textbooks, they are indeed apt pupils. There is a definite amount of heart and original ideas in place here to stop one from outright confusing Brazil with their proverbial mentors, but all the same there still isn't all that much to outright set them apart. Such discrepancies can ultimately hamper the full enjoyment of this album and though it is without question an enjoyable listen, one may be left wondering whether it is just the pining for new material from those who influenced the band that makes it so.