Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eccentric Brilliance, October 14, 2005
Broken Social Scene, a loose collective of up to 17 people from all around Canada, has a well-elaborated history. De-facto band leader Kevin Drew (Do Make Say Think) and Brendan Canning have, since 1999, been committed to their mission of creating beautiful indie rock. Broken Social Scene's debut, Feel Good Lost, was an album-long instrumental that left many (me included) wondering where this supercollective was going. Then, in 2002, "You Forgot it In People" hit like a hydrogen bomb. Here, we had musicians famous for making 10-20 minute epics compressing themselves into a 4 minute pop song. And it really, really worked. YFIIP was nearly flawless.
"Broken Social Scene" was, due to the immense popularity of YFIIP, one of the most widely-anticipated albums of 2005. Anyone familiar with the band could not wait to see the direction they went next. This record, it turns out, is an interesting hybrid of their first two recordings. There are remnants of the instrumentals of "Feel Good Lost," somehow magically intertwined with the pop feel of YFIIP.
The real difference in these albums is the feel of the recording. YFIIP was tight, composed, and put together. It was BSS at 10am, ready to take on the world. This album gives us a glimpse at BSS at 730, just waking up, not yet ready, but still brilliant.
That being said, there is something a bit...off about this record. It almost feels like there are TOO many good ideas going on at once, and that they are thrown together when the creation of two songs would have been more appropriate. That is not to say that this record is not glorious, just that it takes some time to get used to. There are many times on this album that hit you with a formidable wall of sounds, and it takes multiple listenings to decipher what is really going on.
Producer David Newfield (who apparently "became obsessed" with trying to top YFIIP) makes some of the riskiest moved behind a console I've heard in quite some time, but somehow manages to bring together innumerable instruments into a cohesive, if sometimes intimidating, whole. The lyrics are subdued to the point of being indecipherable in places, and instruments are brought to the front of the sound when they are least expected.
When it all boils down, this is a great record. Let there be no mistake about that. Does it top "You Forgot it In People?" Probably not. But then again, to compare these two records is not really even fair. BSS are a new band every time they get together to record, and we should treat this as a new release by a new band. And in that regard, this is a fantastic album. There is much aural experimentation, brilliant musicians toying with time signatures, and a crack producer having fun with bringing together a myriad of sounds. Highly Recommended.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Just Another Rock Band, December 21, 2005
Here's five good reasons for liking this album:
1) The concept is interesting. The band, with between five and seventeen members, shifts shape like an amoeba, with some songs sounding relatively spare and stripped down while others provide a wall of sound approach.
2) The music is fresh and innovative, simultaneously off-the-cuff and structured, borrowing heavily from the My Bloody Valentine approach whereby vocals and instrumental details are often buried deep in the mix while still contributing to the overall atmosphere of the song.
3) The hooks are often gorgeous and get catchier with repeated listenings, meaning that the more familiar you become with the music, the more you will take from it.
4) Again like My Bloody Valentine, vocal duties are divided between male and female lead singers and both are equally effective and evocative.
5) They don't sound like anyone else.
In short, this is a CD that you will likely still be playing
frequently in six months or a year. Just really, really good music.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Up and down, October 5, 2005
First thing I will say is this is a very different album than the masterpiece "You Forgot It In People". Now, I say that it is a step down from their previous effort, but I remember that it took me many months to realize the absolute perfection of YFIIP.
One thing I can state now before this album is embedded in my brain is that the lyrics are not as good. One of the things that bothers me about this album is the lines that are mediocore that are repeated. Lines like: "If you always wake up late you're never gonna be on time" or "I really don't want to think about those things no more". There are also a few songs that just get 'lost in the shuffle' like "Superconnected", "Fire Eye'd Boy" or "Canada Vs. America(from the bonus EP)" that just seem like formulaic Broken Social Scene rock songs which I never thought I'd hear myself say after hearing the diversity of YFIIP. Nonetheless every song on this CD is good, a few just blend together. A complaint for me, but what others may prefer, is that there is a lack of instrumentals on this album which is a Broken Social Scene trademark, especially since the debut Feel Good Lost was almost entirely instrumental. The 2 instrumental songs (unless you count the humming on "Our Faces Split The Coast In Half" as instrumental) both clock under 2 minutes which is also very disappointing.
On the brighter side, this album differs a lot from YFIIP. One of the things I love about this band is that they have been evolving since day 1 not only in members (2 to 17) but also in music, and that is apparent on this album. This album touches on genres that I never thought (or hoped) that they would touch but they do it so well. Another constant among Broken Social Scene albums that stays with this is that you discover something new everytime you go through the album. I've listened to YFIIP atleast 200 times and I still pick up on things I never noticed before which is the beauty of their layered sound. The best part about this album and the only (but huge) improvement to You Forgot It In People is the climactic ending. I don't want to give anything away for you "first listen purists" like me, but this sounds like an ending fit for the last Lord of the Rings or Star Wars movie. With the song clocking out at 10 minutes and going through various changes it heavily differs from the slow anti-climax "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart" on the previous album.
Although it may sound like I am disappointed with this album, it is only because it doesn't quite stack up to my "album of the decade" You Forgot It In People. This is truly one of the best albums of the year, easily stacking up against "Takk..." , "Frances The Mute", or "In Between Dreams".
For those of you who already know Broken Social Scene, I'd recommend you listen to the EP first to transition you into the new sound, hear some of the best instrumentals from this band, and hear the reprise of the classic Feel Good Lost song. Otherwise, just do what you please. Either way, listen with an open mind and enjoy :)
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