It does often have a fairly clear political edge – that is predominantly anti-war, anti-Bush – which is hardly surprising given the conspirators previous convictions. As you might expect it is an album that generally wears its heart on its sleeve. Something in me tells me that, as such, it shouldn’t really work as a cohesive unit but the undeniable fact is that on this album it does – so much so that, despite my original intention, I’ve now decided not to name tracks – it is an album best listened to in its entirety. If you like any/all of Stars, Metric and Feist you need this – as Amy Millan, Emily Haines and Leslie Feist provide almost all the female vocals here, backed up by Torquil Campbell (Stars) on male vocals and a whole host of talented musicians who all come and go with the tracks, for Broken Social Scene is a ‘collective’ and not a ‘band’. If you liked Broken Social Scene 'You Forgot It In People' then in all probability you will wish to hear this too, but I guess you already know that. It is beautifully packaged with an extra EP it will possibly cost you little, if any, more. My recommendation is to get the CD+EP version.
The bonus EP from the Limited Edition isn't much cop either, sounding more like outtakes than a record in its own right, and isn't worth spending any extra cash on. There are other moments of merit to mention, but some editing would not have hurt - in particular the inconsequentially long closer 'Its All Gonna Break'. 'Hotel' is off-kilter downbeat r'n'b, a kind of tripped-out 'Lover's Rock' and the album's most singular moment. 'Windsurfing Nation' is an unusual rock / r'n'b hybrid centring around the repeated mantra 'All we want is freedom' and even includes a short rap at the end, to great effect. 'Fire Eye'd Boy' is another one to satisfy the indie kids, a fine piece of pop-hookery, but then it gets more interesting. 'Finish your collapse and stay for breakfast' is electronic noodling while 'Major label debut' show their more twee indie sensibilities. 'Ibi dreams of pavement (a better day)' is one of their more raucous moments while '7/4 (shoreline)' is this album's 'Almost Crimes', an anthemic, sonic crowd-pleaser with Leslie Feist at the helm. Picking up where 'Pacific Theme' left off on the last record, this is one of the best tracks for me. The album opens with a the jazzy, shimmering alt-rock of 'Our faces split the coast in half', with a moody Bernard Hermann-style brass section and half-submerged vocals that sound like something sampled for a DJ Shadow record. Songs and melodies slip in and out of focus, revealing little galaxies of blurred notes and voices beyond the principal 'song' structures, time-signatures trip and flip at moments it sounds like you are stuck between stations on an analogue radio dial. Whereas the overcrowded, shape-shifting production was a principle factor of their last (great) record 'You Forgot it in People', on this record it entirely defines it. However, they also excel at jazzy post-rock and - on this record - Prince-style R&B! The result, on some of their more conventional indie tracks, is a cross between the laconic daze of Dinosaur Jnr and the warped intensity of My Bloody Valentine. A huge cast of musicians participate on this record in a democratic process that leaves the producers with a lot of work to do, trying to make sense of what can often sound like two or three songs playing at the same time. Paul Sullivanīroken Social Scene are a very unusual band. As big as the sky and as fluid as a dream, Broken Social Scene is that rare thing: an experimental album that actually rocks. Despite a dense squall of sound often obscuring lyrics and sonic detail, the collectives sub-pop chops consistently ring out in a triumphant flurry of catchy hooks, hypnotic riffs and compelling melodies.
#BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE VINYL PLUS#
Tracks "bleed" into one another like Rothko colours, but the sheer amount of people involved-ten key members plus several guests including Feist and rapper K-Os-lend the project a quite astonishing diversity. Producer Dave Newfeld nurtures the same meticulously shambolic production style that made YFIIP such a messy joy, encouraging the band to embrace an even more sprawling and inventive aesthetic. The subsequent pressure for a follow-up has been immense but theyve managed to come up trumps with this eponymous offering. The crew caused a splash in 2002 with their formidable You Forgot It In People, which went on to win a Canadian JUNO. Broken Social Scene are a Canadian collective made up of members of established Toronto bands such as A Silver Mt Zion, Stars and Do Make Say Think.