Music: “Forgiveness Rock Record” – Broken Social Scene
So... You wanna start an indie band? You have finally talked one of your mates into letting you use their basement/garage as a practice space, you have saved up your tip money to buy a Fender Twin, and you even convinced that chick you buy coffee from to play bass or cello or whatever it is she fucking plays in your outfit. After a quick trip to American Apparel, and some haircut research, you find yourself with your Telecaster in your hand, a pen and pad laid out before you (maybe I am romanticizing a little there), and the perpetual furrowed brow of an inspiration hunter. You sit there searching for direction, trying in vain to reinvent the wheel - or at least arrange your sonic influences into a framework you haven't already heard a thousand times. As frustration begins to set in, you throw your hands in the air and abandon this whole endeavor. Why? Because Broken Social Scene already beat you to the punch.
Formed in Canada (where else would something that sounds like this come from?) way back in 1999, Broken Social Scene isn't a band - they are a "musical collective", comprised of anywhere from 6 to 19 people (I believe there are 7 official members these days). The founding members/frontmen of this genre-defying baroque-pop uber-group are Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew, two absolute giants in the indie scene, who are now considered de facto Canadian royalty. Broken Social Scene is so central and nucleic to the Toronto "scene" that they are essentially a catalyst for a six degree game, with themselves at the core and tangents to acts like Metric, Stars, and Feist, to name a few. In 2001, Canning and Drew wrote and released the band's first record (Feel Good Lost), a predominantly instrumental ambient record with post-rock leanings, which was received favorably by critics and emboldened the band to new heights. They followed up their debut with the stellar, and now classic, You Forget It In People, an album so great it can stand toe to toe with anything by the Arcade Fire for indie Maple Leaf reign.
The band's fourth studio album is titled Forgiveness Rock Record, and while it is not as good as You Forget It In People, it has supplanted Teen Dream as the top contender for record of the year. This 14 song peregrination through a myriad of indie styles is as enjoyable an hour of music listening as I have had in a while. Forgiveness Rock Record will satisfy just about every craving you could have for dream-pop glow or art-rock splendor; just about each song is produced to the point of aural bliss (we can thank John McEntire for that), and exhibits some delightful imagination in composition and/or arrangement.
The greatness is palpable during the watery guitar and rhythmic-collage build of the album's opener, World Sick. Once the legato leads give way to the synth arpeggios and vocal harmonies that make up the verse you are already thankful you are listening; then the chorus explodes in your ear and you just let the song take hold, knowing it's going to treat you right. The second track (Chase Scene) kicks off some wah, an Aphex Twin-esque grainy sixteen step, some even sicker harmonies, and builds tension with strings, horns and live drums to a rate that will have you tapping your foot, nodding your head, and drumming with your fingers. Chase Scene's tension is eased by the four on the floor pop shine of Texico Bitches and the rock swagger of Forced To Love; both songs should be on the radio - they won't be, fuck radio. As the intro for All To All starts to oscillate and repeat in your ear, you are aware that B.S.S is pushing it to some serious awesome now; Lisa Lobsinger's vocals on All To All are lovely and rest perfectly on top of the bubbling, heavenly, synth arrangement.
As you listen to Forgiveness Rock Record, you feel like the highlights are limitless; Art House Director has a great brass arrangement and a half-time disco break that is executed so well it almost feels subliminal, Ungrateful Little Father starts off as the next hit Spoon single before slipping into a twinkling digital landscape for a couple of minutes, and Sentimental X's is the kind of brilliant moment in audio that makes you happy ProTools exists (okay, maybe that's just me). Even the couple of numbers that aren't sublime still keep one's attention and never feel like filler, or come off as overindulgent. There is absolutely nothing on this record that could be considered subpar, even the absurd Pavement homage, Water In Hell, can still make you smile when you realize just how close they get to parody.
I always find it difficult to wrap up effusive reviews. What can I write here that I haven't already said in the body of the review? The answer... Nothing. Go get this album right now. Your band can wait till tomorrow.
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Love it!
this band is intolerable. im going to go put on a megadeth record to cleanse this slime off me.
Dude... I hate to break this to you, but music did NOT end when MTV let go of Riki Rachtman.
when did every male between the ages of 17-26 become such whiny touchy feely assholes?
go put on a led zeppelin record for fucks sake and quit burying your emotions in some shitty fag rock.
Wait a second... Did you just call me an asshole? Also, are you implying that there aren't 18 Led Zeppelin records and bootlegs in my iTunes ?
I think this is more of a situation where you can't get it through your antiquated reasoning that a marshall stack and a gold top Les Paul are not pre-requisites for a good album (although they do help).
Jimmy Page is a personal hero of mine, so are McCartney, Townshed, Clapton, and a bunch of other white dudes that haven't put out a relevant record since the 80s!!! Although I would love to spend my time reviewing Zeppelin II, Who's Next, and Disraeli Gear, those records have all been extensively covered throughout the YEARS.
Lastly, do me a favor next time, and TRY to be more accurate with your generalizations (you didn't even get my age right), an also d a bit less homophobic with your future nuggets of wisdom.
it wasnt so much a generalization directed at you as to the people who create music.
the only people making any music with balls are soul these days are mathnerds and meatheads.
all the creative music minds fall into making fagrock or some sort of shitty r&b flavored rap.
Great review, great album. I think BSS is poised to break out, and this is certainly the album to do it. Ton of good music coming out right now huh? BSS and the New Pornographers, Black Keys and Band of Horses next week. Get your ears ready. The Black Key's Album is out of control.
hate to break it to you but the black keys stopped making good records after rubber factory came out.
Ignore him Will...
You couldn't be more right about the upcoming BSS breakout and the fact that there is SO much great new music coming out these days.
I am currently in the process of listening to and reviewing the aforementioned Pornographers and Band of Horses records, as well as the new Dead Weather, National, UNKLE, Deftones LCD Soundsytem, Hold Steady, and I'll be getting around to The Black Key's next week.
It truly is a great time to be a music critic! There just aren't enough hours in the day.
do yourself a favor and see if you can get your fat greedy little fingers on danzigs upcoming album.
The Black Keys have not fallen off, and while I'll agree there best project front to back is by far Rubber Factory, you can't count them as dropping off when all they've done is break for a while for some different projects. Auerbach's solo album Keep it Hid was largely a success, and the rock/rap callabo on Blakroc, while not mind blowing, was still a refreshing step away from the general monotony that seems to clog our listening ears now a days. I've had the 'Brothers' album for a few weeks now, and I'll admit while it runs a song or two long, it's easily one of the best rock records in a long while, and certainly a step back to the bands especially great mix of rock/blues. There's no way you can put that album in and not enjoy these tracks: Everlasting Light, Next Girl, Tighten Up, Howlin for You, She's Long Gone, shit basically the whole album. Don't trash the record until you've listened to it, because it is real solid.
Also, your comment would lead me to believe that you don't consider the 6 song record, Chulahoma, good, which is absolutely absurd.
Gio: As for the stuff your coming up on, The National album is a favorite of mine right now, especially the track England. The Dead Weather album, while solid, just annoys me with it's inconsistency, but I suppose that's part of the band's style in the jerky rock that they play. Although, Blue Blood Blues is sick I must admit. Interested to hear what you think of the new LCD though.
chulahoma is good, and yes, thats their last good record. a record full of covers, written by an amazing bluesmen. that doesnt back up your point.
i honestly havent heard brothers, i saw it leaked weeks ago and i didnt even download it. that is how much dislike magic potion, attack and release, and blackroc. i only heard auerbachs solo stuff in passing and was never committed to listening to it but from what i heard, nothing stood out like busted or heavy soul the first times i heard them. i have heard one track from brothers in passing, and it reminded me of what the kings of leon have turned into, and i was just annoyed.
Well, this exchange is hilarious.
I will agree with Acky that the Black Keys have fallen off, but the album being reviewed above is pretty damn good imo.
you should review TRICLOPS! Helpers on the Other Side
might do you some good!