Label - Sony Music Entertainment
BLURB - What happens when you combine equal parts Gnarls Barkley and The Shins? Apparently, you get Broken Bells. While this fusion isn't some kind of transcendent, ground breaking Run DMC - Aerosmith collaboration, it certainly reminds us that there are creative people out there, willing to experiment with their sound. Broken Bells doesn't really jump off the speakers and there are no real jaw dropping flashes of brilliance, but quietly this album holds it's own. If anything (likely due to the vocals) this album leans more towards The Shins than Danger Mouse and Gnarls Barkley, but fans of both should be able to enjoy this.
Rating - 7.5 out of 10
FULL STORY - In my opinion, this album seems to be an augmentation of The Shins sound, more so than anything else. I recognize the fact that the only Shins participant is James Mercer, but it seems he was able to bring some of The Shins' trademark melodies and songwriting styles to the table. Danger Mouse, on the other hand seems to merely interpret these assets, finding a way to present them in different manner. What this means is more organs, keyboards and effects. I was kind of hoping for a more hip-hop and urban-sounding record, but unfortunately this is not the case. Overall the album sounds like a very laid back and mellow Shins record. The Shins themselves are a hard band to label. Some of their songs are frenetic and uptempo, others are heavily-folk influenced, while others are straight up pop.
I was kind of taken aback when I saw Broken Bells' first single on MTV the other day. If nothing else it was just weird. "The High Road" is easily the best track on the album. This song actually finds a subtle way to mix aspects of alternative folk with synthesizers. The styles and instrumentations never directly battle each other, which makes for a seamless and pleasant ride. What does stand out on the track are the choruses. Maybe it's just James Mercer's voice, but the chorus and the ending refrain are easy to get addicted to.
"Vaporize" starts off quietly with Mercer and an acoustic guitar, but before long it is flooded with heavy, wet organs. It's a nice contrast of sounds, because Mercer's vocals are usually very light and breezy. The lyrics support the music very well, creating open themes of dreams, confusion and realization.
"What amounts a dream anymore? A crude device, a veil on our eyes. A simple plan, we'd be different from all the rest and never resign to a typical life."
"Your Head is On Fire" is a unique throwback. I can't explain it but the track really feels dated, but in a good way. There is also a cool fusion of trippy synth lines and string sections in the middle of the song, which for some reason works.
You can kind of use "Your Head is On Fire" as a microcosm for the album as a whole. There are some musical stretches and interesting interpretations, but they are few and far between. If anything - Broken Bells appears to be a calculated risk, occasionally sprinkling in some 'outside the box' colors, tones and ideas. There really isn't anything overly new or transcendent on the album...just sounds like The Shins with a twist. It's a good (not great) record, but definitely worth giving a listen.
Tracks
1.) The High Road
2.) Vaporize
3.) Your Head Is On Fire
4.) The Ghost Inside
5.) Sailing to Nowhere
6.) Trap Doors
7.) Citizen
8.) October
9.) Mongrel Heart
10.) The Mall and Misery
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