Fulfilled: Complete

Broken Spindles | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Saddle Creek
• ASIN: B0001XAR3G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,314 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Joel Petersen, aka Broken Spindles, returns with Fulfilled: Complete, another collection of evocative electronic rock. Down to its cover artwork, Fulfilled: Complete isn't radically different from its self-titled predecessor, but that doesn't ... Full Descriptionmean it's a carbon copy of Broken Spindles, either. "Fall in and Down On" provides early proof that Petersen isn't just rehashing his previous work: the song's slightly treated vocals, buzzing synth bass, and busy rhythms are akin to, if not exactly like, Petersen's main band the Faint, and also has a slightly industrial feel. The song offers a sharp contrast to the more reflective pieces on Fulfilled: Complete, such as the swells of strings that make up "Induction" and "Song No Song"'s rippling pianos. The album really hits its stride on the kinetic "Move Away," and even though the monotone vocals occasionally become annoying (as on "To Die, for Death"), more often than not, they work. However, the tracks with singing find Broken Spindles moving in one direction, and the purely instrumental pieces find them moving in another, and sometimes the contrast between the two styles just ends up as a clash of sounds, particularly on "Practice, Practice, Preach," which ends up feeling like a lull between "Move Away" and the like-minded instrumental "Italian Wardrobe." Fulfilled: Complete ends on a spooky, promising note with "Harm" and "The Dream," both of which suggest that Petersen is close to perfecting his mix of electronic atmospheres and rock. It's not a perfect album, but it has enough of a connection to Broken Spindles to please fans of that album, and also show them where Petersen is going next.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fulfilling and complete, July 18, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fulfilled: Complete (Audio CD)

Joel Peterson is from the Faint, but don't think that his projects end there. He is also the heart and soul of Broken Spindles, a more delicate and distant sound that still manages to be catchy. Sophomore album "Fulfilled: Complete" refines Peterson's sound further, with a mix of gritty rock and delicate melody, all wrapped together in an electronica burrito.

"Induction" opens up the album on a light, airy note, followed by the harder, classical/techno "Fall In And Down On." A delicate piano melody drives "Song No Song" and the soaring "Practice Practice Preach," while an exotic indie-rock flavor imbues "To Die For Death" and the offbeat, infectious "Italian Wardrobe." After the quietly sputtery "Harm," the album ends on a panoramic note with the soaring "The Dream."

Side projects can be either pretentious and self-serving, or a beautiful expression of the artist's unfulfilled creativity. Broken Spindles is the latter. It's a thoroughly enjoyable experience from beginning to end, and an increasingly addictive marriage of electronic dance beats, filtered vocals and some wicked string action.

Peterson's vocals are distant and cloaked in computer sound, like a part of the electronica. And the lyrics are similarly melded in, to the point where you just stop listening to the words and listen to the sound. The rich instrumentation is what makes "Fulfilled: Complete" spring to life. Synths cause sputtering static, ghostly keens, and background blips and

Some solid electric guitar adds a rock edge to the music. And of course, the more classical instruments. The gritty dance-rock is given an elegant edge with the swelling violins that swell up and away, and a cello makes an appearance as well. The most prominent is the piano, adding a hesitant, crystal-clear sound to the quieter songs.

"Fulfilled: Complete" is an excellent sophomore for Joel Peterson, who retains his unique sound while expanding his musical horizons. A uniformly excellent piece of work.