The collective that is Canada's Broken Social Scene (seriously, is everyone Canadian now?) has balooned up to seventeen odd members and the amount if not always the quality of sound all these people make together has multiplied accordingly. Still fronted by Kevin Drew (Do Make Say Think) the propulsive gang of indie worshipers lets female singer Leslie Feist carry the lead from time to time and to great reward. Drew's vocals are routinely ensconced behind layers of reverb and washed out by waves of droning guitars and keyboards, rendering most lyrics pointlessly lost and his voice a backing instrument without an obvious lead to repelace him. But Feist cuts through the din on sparer, percusion and loop driven tracks providing some breathable air amidst the largely high-altitude, high-art constructivism in which the group seems prone to revel.
But all is not lost. That's really just describing the first half of the album. "Major Label Debut" quells the ruckus gently. By track six ("Fire Eye'd Boy") a sort of clarity is achieved. Not quite a parting of the clouds but providing a means of soaring among them. There is never an "oh, now I get it" moment or radio-ready single, but the dense and swirling wall of sound becomes soulful, complex, and layered. Grooves are sustained long enough to enjoy rather than being repeated and distorted into oblivion. Shop quickly and you'll get the limited edition two disc set which includes the easily more listenable seven song EP.
No comments:
Post a Comment