Broken Bells (2010)

I love this download. I can’t stop listening to it. I am big Danger Mouse fan and so/so James Mercer’s band the Shins fan. Demon Days, produced by Danger Mouse, I think is the best release of 2000 – 2009. Broken Bells has that Danger Mouse sound, which I would describe as centering on a clean recording of each instrument. It reminds me more of a classical or jazz recording than a pop or rock recording.

The songs were written both by Mercer and D. Mouse. For Mercer’s part, his voice has more gravitas than his work with The Shins. The sound has a depth wrapped in an indie pop song. I think it’s brilliant!

Must Download:

The High Road
Vaporize
You’re Heads On Fire
October.

I would suggest the whole thing, even though last two songs sound like mediocre songs from a New Wave 80’s band.

The first song, ‘The High Road’, which was also the first single and digital download from the website last year, is a haunting rhythmic ballad and beautifully transitions to their second single, ‘Vaporize’ it speeds up a little and dips into great melodic and thoughtful lyrics into an electric bridge. The next tune, ‘Your Heads on Fire’ is neo-sixties pop ballad in the sprit of the great British band ‘Manic Street Preachers’. Next, ‘The Ghost Inside’, Mercer has a late 70’s falsetto and it almost has a ‘Hall and Oates’ feel to it. ‘Sailing to nowhere’ is punctuated with Beatles sound trick and great strings. I guess you should just listen to the whole thing.

I was surprised and pleased to that this recording debuted at number 7 on the Billboard charts.

I realize that is album speaks to me in that the sound is like some of stuff I like from the 90s, but is different enough to make it interesting. Of course the sound engineering was never as good in the 90’s as it is here. The year is young but this might be the best release of the year.