News to no one: A lot’s happened since Broken Social Scene released that self-titled career-shifting third album five years ago: There were tours and one-offs (together and apart), solo albums, the “Broken Social Scene Presents…” series. All of that, and someone sorta became a household name (thanks to Steve Jobs). Yes, Feist made it to Sesame Street, but nearly everyone associated with the band’s raised their profile to some degree or other. (Kevin Drew’s collaborated with a diverse cast, from Fucked Up to Spiral Stairs to Dinosaur to…) For all the networking, on the John McEntire-helmed Forgiveness Rock Record, the ever expanding and contracting group’s been whittled to the (relatively) spare sextet of Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin, Andrew Whiteman, Sam Goldberg, and Lisa Lobsinger. Feist, Emily Haines, some Stars, Spiral Stairs, and members of Do Make Say Think, Sea & Cake and Tortoise “guest.” Surprisingly, it’s the latter two who leave the biggest mark. Those guys, and all the horns.
You’ve had a couple of months to listen to the uplifting (even if world-weary) opener “World Sick.” It sets the collection’s tone, but the band continues drifting across the map stylistically — as suggested by other by-now-familiar tracks, the rollicking “Forced To Love” (another uplifting song with a sorta downer of a name) and the spacier, swoonier “All To All.”
Outside those complete tracks, the band paired snippets of “Ungrateful Little Father,” “Sweetest Kill,” “Art House Director,” and “Chase Scene” with visuals from various iconic films. But how does “Ungrateful Father” in its 7-minute entirety work with Ghost? Not so well: The songs move through so many different sounds and textures you’ll need to hear them in their entirety to get anywhere.
After listening to “Chase Scene,” you’ll understand why they opted for the cinematic reference points: Dramatically scissoring strings, piano, horns, buzzing drum machines (then actual drums), and windswept vocal choruses push forward, growing increasingly frantic without losing their chill. It has the feel of a climax — less a chase scene, though, and more your trek from the locker room to the ring for your first professional wrestling match (as depicted on Broadway). The tension loosens on the playful “Texico Bitches” and its spry tempo, backing “whoa!”‘s (they go off like firecrackers), synth squiggles/zaps. It’s a silly (but fun) detour followed by two familiar gems “Forced To Love” and “All To All,” appearing in the same order we heard them originally. “Art House Director”‘s another upbeat, playful track with smooth/soulful horn parts and swoony tempo shifts that give a kind of ’60s pop vibe. The Kinks backed by the Max Weinberg & The Tonight Show Band.
“Highway Slipper Jam” is the most hollowed-out moment on the first half of the album, offering a Western feel in its Canadian twang, slide guitar, harmonica atmospherics, and whistling. As well as something different with its breathy boy/gal vocals, pleasingly cheap drum machine clicks, the way it opens up spaciously toward the end. That’s the thing: Broken Social Scene features a number of well-known vocalists, but they can be just as compelling when they keep their mouths shut.
For instance, the excellent instrumental “Meet Me In The Basement” starts with a shouted “here we go” then moves into pulsing rock anthemics, strings, etc. You think it’s going to be a big Arcade Fire-style shout-along anthem; when those vocal choruses never come, it doesn’t actually matter. (See how it went down last year in Toronto.) The band’s creating a rich set of textures. As hinted at earlier, some are especially evocative of Tortoise/Sea & Cake: “Ungrateful Little Father,” has a full-on McIntyre drum pattern. It also has a load of different sounds: something like a sitar, a jawharp, steel drum, theremin (?), etc., and they all blend into a 3-minute ambient stretch at track’s end that sounds like something from Silver Apples On The Moon.
Things mellow out some more toward the end. “Sentimental X”‘s is bubbling, escalating female-fronted breathiness with pulsations that might make you want to reach for a Stereolab (or Stars) record. Again, that locked-in drum groove is pure McIntyre. (Or Can.) Things slow down and deepen with the mellow late-night echo-chamber of “Sweetest Kill.” The noir Western thing returns on “Romance To The Grave” — this time complete with horses cantering into the sunset and ghostly female choirs.
The album could end with “Water In Hell.” It doesn’t reach the heights of “Meet Me In The Basement,” but it’s a raucous, playful indie anthem (“The shuck and jive is over / The shuck and jive is over”) that might make you think of Yo La Tengo until its background laughter, weird smeary breakdown, and eventual transformation into some kind of a shambling square dance/hoedown. The album could very well end that way, but instead we get “Me & My Hand,” a 2-minute Kevin Drew solo acoustic ode to self-pleasure. Maybe it’s all about anti-climax.
Whatever the case, Forgiveness Rock Record is a good rock record. It isn’t as ragged or shaggy as the band’s last outing. Things don’t spiral so much. Or feel like they’re going to fall apart. There’s a focused honing and at first listen less curveballs. So keep listening: They are still there. The band’s continued experimenting with textures and weirdness, they’ve just found a way to make it smoother. Basically, these new tracks showcase a sleeker version of the band you loved five years later. A band that still arrives armed with a million ideas … and songs about masturbation.
Forgiveness Rock Record is out 5/4 via Arts & Crafts.
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Yeah, no doubt that this was going to be a stellar review. The first 3 songs released gave a sense of airiness and nonchalance that I think most of the intensiveness might be put on the other songs (which I can’t wait to hear). But hey, that’s just me.
this album is awesome. especially sweetest kill and meet me in the basement. Much better than their self titled
love this, i was so excitied when i saw it leaked
i’m just going to go ahead and say it right now…but the album sucks. i’m not a fan. i liked the raggedness of their self titled. it felt as though they were about to lose control at any moment. this one is way too polished and clean and lacks any sort of grit whatsoever. it’s all texture with no flavor.
go eat a bowl of dicks
without specifying that one should eat the bowl of dicks while it is still hot; your attempt a pop culture insult fails miserably.
people have been saying “eat a bowl of dicks” for years and it doesn’t have to include “while it’s still hot”…your attempt at sounding all witty and cute made you sound more like a friendless tool
unfortunately, i kind of agree, its their weakest record yet.
the raggedness? first of all that album was completely over-produced, for the majority of the record the vocals were barely listenable and i do agree that it did sound like they were about to lose control, but that really doesn’t sound to great for an entire album.
This album seems like what should have come out instead of the self titled. That album is good but it is also a mess, this new one is much more focused.
you’re funny dude.
I really can’t see where you’re getting the “polished and clean” bit from. Not to discredit your opinion, but I find the production to have mindful, musical noise, distortion, and grit all over it. I can see the attractiveness of the “out of control” feelings you liked on their self-titled, but I have to respectfully disagree with your overall superlative that the album “sucks.” I’m personally jacked up about it.
make sure you heat it up first.
^ ^ @grego
really though, BSS is the shit, and though i don’t have the whole album (yet), i know i’ll get it and spin the shit out of it cuz these guys can do no wrong in my book. i guess my book has “indie rock” written on the cover, but whatever, BSS fucking rules.
This review was a softball, this album sucks. The reviewer doesn’t even sound vaguely interested in the music.
It seems like the open-door policy of the band has hit a bad turn.
Overall it sounds forced and…stale.
I should give it more time, too. It’s been about 3 listens.
dude, do give it more time. it really opens up, and i’m loving it. initially, i was uncertain, but i am really, really digging it. fave is still s/t, but this is quite awesome.
Finally the full band is back in action. Those “Broken Social Scene Presents” albums just weren’t doing it for me.
I’ve heard the “it’s BSS-by-the-numbers” remarks, and while I might go along with that I’d remind those people that BSS by-the-numbers is fantastic. It’s the kind of album you can leave on repeat, and realize 10 plays later that you never got bored…quite the opposite in fact. This review is spot on.
hahaaha better than their self titled.. how does this moron already listen to broken social scene. This cd is inevitably their worst. lazy songwriting, polished cheesy production, and no theme.. prettty much all over the place but theres still a few good songs. yet nonetheless it will probably still be their biggest album. Most current fans have the ability to see through the laziness and cheesiness but those two “qualities” are exactly what new uneducated fans will pick up on and eat up.
This is a weak album in my opinion. There are a couple of decent tracks but it is a huge let down for me. IN fact 2010 so far has sucked at least two shades of ass already.
Lisa just doesn’t cut it for me. Her singing is banal compared to Leslie, Emily and the chick from Stars.
I don’t know who dropped the ball on this, Brenden or Kev.
I wish they didn’t spend all that time working on the Presents Albums and focused more on this. Oh well, there’s always next time.
To everyone who thought BSS would sound the same as they did 5 years ago, grow up.
i bet chase scene is your fav
Forgiveness Rock Record is a solid listen. It may not match up to You Forgot It in People (but not much does) as far as its raw originality and careless grit but it’s nice to see some more focused creations after the self-titled album, which was a bit TOO loose and obscure. There’s still plenty of noisy texture, psych-tinged space and that adolescent-like spirit but maybe a little more maturity in direction.
“Ungrateful Little Father” is fukin awesome.
(forgiveness rock record > self titled < you forgot it in people) < MPP
this still doesn’t tell me whether you like mpp or frr better.. but who cares anyway, you’re dumbo brown herself. forgiveness rock record has like 12 filler songs.
oh i see now, schools been out for awhile.. bring your shit somewhere relatable
I’m enjoying this record. I dont love it yet, but it’s enjoyable. Hoping it will hit me harder as I get to know it more.
be interesting to see how great all this stuff translates live. usually does with them.