We can’t say we’ve ever given a damn about The Shins at all, and in our opinion, Danger Mouse projects can be hit or miss. But James Mercer and the versatile producer also known as Brian Burton have teamed up under the moniker Broken Bells, and their self-titled debut full length is worth checking out, to say the least.
The album opens with The High Road, a free download on iTunes that drew us into the project with a casual click. Slow and synth driven, it sounds a bit like The Postal Service meets Zero 7 until Mercer’s vocals bring a touch of Jeff Buckley into the mix. The song is fleshed out with subtle hand clap highlights on the backbeat and a harmony on the chorus that could be a children’s choir, or perhaps just creative overdubbing.
The High Road happens to be the best cut of the album. Really, it’s flawless. And while that’s a disappointing answer to our first question as the preview teased us toward a closer look, it’s by no means the only reason to pick up Broken Bells.
Taken out of context, a few songs, such as Your Head Is On Fire, do sort of flop into a rut of indie shoegaze mumblecore. Yet despite this, the album is extremely listenable as a whole; There’s enough variation to keep the soundtrack from being uninteresting for too long at a time, and there are no jumps so jarring that they might ruin the mood.
Roughly half of the album shares the tone of High Road. Vaporize and Trap Doors follow that sort of Beta Band, High Fidelity, Indie Rock pace you’ll find white people bobbing their heads to.
October falls into this category as well, and is one of the most outstanding of the bunch. It’s slightly more upbeat, with vocals nudged a half-notch higher in register. Their optimism sets the stage for a great bridge where the synths step aside for vocal ooh-ooh-oohs, before everything comes back brighter for the final verses.
The Ghost Inside introduces the other side to Broken Bells’ personality, with a quicker beat and falsetto vocals that carry the duo through the front doors of pop, threatening nothing short of mainstream radio friendliness at times. However, as I’ve said, the deviations are never unnatural. While most of Mongrel Heart and The Mall And Misery are decidedly danceable, the songs are constructed and arranged to avoid sudden turns, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the view.
- 01. The High Road
- 02. Vaporize
- 03. Your Head Is On Fire
- 04. The Ghost Inside
- 05. Sailing To Nowhere
- 06. Trap Doors
- 07. Citizen
- 08. October
- 09. Mongrel Heart
- 10. The Mall And Misery
What’s the reference I’m missing here?
This.
Dude, you just reviewed a leak. I’m a real journalist with the real album and from your descriptions of the tracks, you have an unfinished copy of the album. All you have to do is check with the previews on iTunes to see that your tracklisting is wrong etc. This is typical irresponsible journalism that is plaguing the web.
You should take this review down till you get the finished album and then write a proper review.
And I agree, the album is pretty great, but can’t you see you’re doing this great band a total disservice by posting this?!
this isn’t journalism at all, you professional moron, it’s criticism. you don’t have to be a whining faggot just because we got a different copy than you. if you want to call me irresponsible, i will come to your house and beat the shit out of you. not because i have an anger management problem, but because i have a body of responsible work behind me on this site. maybe if you were a more responsible blog comment troll, you would have spent a minute looking around before coming at a stranger like fucking gangbusters, calling his hard work a plague. am i doing the band a disservice by telling everyone to pick up the album? go fuck yourself.
with that said, yes, mr. internet cop, i see that a couple tracks were switched around on the final version. i will edit. thank you, so so much, from the bottom of my heart, for the tip.
And as a separate P.S., I’d personally love to read your “journalism,” Sam. I’ll match Antiquiet’s body of work – as well as its journalistic integrity – up against yours any day of the week, no matter who the fuck you are.
As an aside to all of that, who really cares if it’s not the ‘finished copy’. To get a feel for the album and band, I don’t think the correct tracklist is going to make a difference.
This site is great and the reviews, news and articles have pointed me to some great bands/albums before release date. Since hearing about an album I then may have pre-ordered that album, told a few more people about the band and then bought tickets to the album supporting gig that I may have otherwise missed.
I don’t see how any of this is “doing this great band a total disservice”.
I was drinking some chocolate milk while reading Skwerl’s retort. Long story short?
Ow.
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The shins are real the fuck good. I dragged this chick I used to know to a show a few years back against her will. She didn’t want to like them because of Garden State. I’m not saying you guys do this, but the shins get a lot of shit over a line in a movie and a couple of soundtrack spots.
That said, the track is pretty good. I’ll definitely be checking out the album.
Also, I love you Skwerl. It’s always good to start my day with a good laugh at the expense of some random bastard on the internet.
Musical rape is the best. I love dragging people to shows and forcing them to experience the awesome. I’ve converted countless this way.
Um, Sam, this is most certainly journalism. Maybe neo-journalism because it’s on the internet, but that doesn’t mean you can take your job less seriously because that’s what you’re implying. Awful response by you. And criticism = journalism. Is Roger Ebert not a journalist?
journalism specifically applies to presenting news. reviews are not news. roger ebert has done some journalism, but is primarily known as a film critic. he’s the man, by the way.
yes, I’d give this 4 stars too. You mention all my faves too, Ghost, Vaporize, High Road and October, which makes me think others think this way as well. To me it seems like the songs could have even been made continuously, like The Wall.