In our first of many February album reviews coming over the next few days, we start you out with two solid performers.
BROKEN BELLS – AFTER THE DISCO
It’s hard to be into the music scene and not hear the influence of
Brian Burton. Better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, this University of
Georgia - Grady graduate has been nominated for sixteen Grammy Awards, bringing
it home 5 times. After growing up in Spring Valley, New York he moved to
Athens, GA in 1998 where he DJ’d for UGA’s radio station while performing
locally in a mouse outfit due to his shyness, hence the adoption of the Danger
Mouse moniker.
During this
time, Burton took second place in a 1998 talent contest and was asked to open
for a concert at the homecoming concert at Stegeman Coliseum featuring OutKast and Goodie
Mob. Afterwards, Burton approached Cee Lo Green, a member of Goodie Mob,
and gave him an instrumental demo tape. The duo later formed the group
Gnarls Barkley. Best known for his role as a producer he gained prominence
after releasing his 2004 mix of Jay Z’s The
Black Album and The Beatles’ The
White Album aptly naming it The Grey
Album. Since then he has become one of the most sought after producers. His
work has spanned many genres having worked with The Gorillaz (Demon Days), The Black Keys (Attack & Release, El Camino), Beck (Modern Guilt), Norah Jones (Little
Broken Hearts), Electric Guest (Mondo),
and one of 2013’s best albums Portugal. The Man’s Evil Friends.
But Broken Bells is
not about just one of music’s best, but two. James Mercer, best known as the
lead singer and driving force of The Shins, makes up the other half of this
dynamic duo. The Kevin Spacey look-a-like began his musical career in the early
90’s, forming the band Flake Music in 1992 and toured with Modest Mouse. As a
side project in 1999, Mercer formed The Shins named after the name of the
family in The Music Man, a favorite of his father. Originating as a duo, the
band now plays as a well-known, five piece indie rock group. Born in Honolulu,
Hawaii, Mercer is well versed in a variety of instruments from the guitar,
bass, banjo, lap steel to the synthesizer, harmonica, glockenspiel, piano, and
drums. He also owns a wide range of vocal inflection including an oft used
falsetto range as part of Broken Bells.
Originally meeting
in 2004 at Denmark’s Rosklide Festival the two artists happily learned they
were big fans of each other’s works. Nearly four years later, the duo began
secretly working on their first record Broken
Bells. The announcement of the collaboration/formation of Broken Bells came
a year later on September 29, 2009. Almost two years to the day of their start
to the record Broken Bells was released
on March 9th, 2010 and reached number one on iTunes, selling over
400,000 copies and receiving high praise from the press.
In February 2012,
Mercer mentioned on a radio interview in support of The Shins’ Port of Morrow that Broken Bells had
begun working on their second album. The album announcement came on October 18,
2013 and the first single, ‘Holding On for Life’, off After the Disco was released in early November. The album features
the return of James Mercer’s signature Broken Bells, Barry Gibb-esque pitch
matching perfectly with their newfound 70’s disco feel.
Without having seen
it mentioned as such, this album works as a concept album following the course
of a relationship from beginning to end from one side’s perspective. Opening
with ‘Perfect World’ the song sets the groundwork for the alien, disco world
the album creates. The opener brings you right back to where we left off with
Broken Bells with this use of choral-like back ground vocals and range of
instruments. The six and a half minute jam mellows out towards the end before
returning to its melodic beginning launching into the album’s namesake, ‘After
the Disco’. Track two kicks up the tone with a very Bernard Edward (Chic) like
bass line. The song portrays the misadventures of nightlife after the disco is
closed; it plays almost perfectly as a lead-in to or different account of the
night Daft Punk depicts in the award winning song ‘Get Lucky’.
The first single
‘Holding On for Life’ brings us back to the high-pitched Bee Gees sound mixed
with an alienistic deep space sound that the track’s accompanying video brings
to life. ‘Leave It Alone’ has a dark-Shins style to with heavy Danger Mouse
influences. The blues guitar fueled song is best described as a look back at
the low point in a relationship where both sides won’t pull the plug. Following
the theme ‘The Changing Lights’ is an upbeat percussion driven song reflecting
that neither side of the relationship wants to be the loser of the
relationship.
‘Lazy Wonderland’
brings the album back to a happier place, with a song that could be describing
the thrill of an affair, or possibly a break in the madness of a spiraling
relationship after a good night. ‘No Matter What You’re Told’ is a perfect
blending of funk, blues, and alien disco.
The album wraps with the “narrator” taking the blame for the foregone
relationship and
Overall the album
has a heavy theme of finding love, the different paths taken to get there and
the subsequent ride that a relationship takes you on. After the Disco employs a heavy mixture of styles and sounds with
the two classic sides of James Mercer’s voice and the ever-present harmonic
backup vocals. The record flows well through its entirety which is no surprise
as Danger Mouse has spoken frequently on the meticulous way in which he lays
out an album.
Only time will tell
how their second release holds up against the original, it’s an album that
deserves and practically demands multiple listens.
Top Tracks
Leave It Alone
Perfect World
The Remains of Rock & Roll
After the Disco
B Rating: 88
R Rating: 81
Overall: 84.5
Local Dates: Tuesday, March 11th at the Tabernacle with Au
Revoir Simone
Like this album? Try….from
2013
Portugal. The Man – Evil Friends
Volcano Choir – Repave
Jaill – There’s No Sky (My Oh My)
Kurt Ville – Walking on a Pretty Daze
CYMBALS – THE AGE OF FRACTURE
The four-piece dance-rock outfit, Cymbals, has returned with their
third record The Age of Fracture.
Formed in 2010 the London band started, much like this website, as four friends
with similar interests wanting to have fun. Fronted by Jack Clevery (vocal,
guitar) the synth-heavy band is rounded out by Dan Simons (Keyboardist), Luke
Carson (bassist), and drummer Neil Gillespie. They released their first LP in
September of 2011. Unlearn introduced
Cymbals to the world with their Talking Heads influenced rock, often sounding
like an 80s inspired Bloc Party. Not wasting anytime the group released their
second album Sideways, Sometimes on
April 23, 2012. Recorded in a studio aboard a boat while floating the River
Thames, the album got its name because their instruments had to be played
sideways, sometimes. The keyboard laden 8 track recording features three
‘untitled’ instrumental tracks at the beginning, middle, and end.
The Age of Fracture opens
with ‘Winter ‘98’, beginning with the noises of a crowded venue preshow the
song floats with a sound eerily similar to that of Lana del Rey’s ‘Video Games’
before descending into a heavy synth groove to finish the final third of the
track. ‘The Natural World’ doubles down on the 80’s dance rock for a track
could fit perfectly in the climax of a John Hughes film. As the album plays
you’re treated to more vocals and instruments that on the previous albums. The
title track brings about a Yeasayer-like drum, keyboard mix that dissolves
nicely into the next song ‘Like an Animal’. From there the album takes a turn
very reminiscent of fellow English rockers, Foals. ‘Call Me’ brings the album to a close with a
subdued lyricless wrap that feels like the last day at school packing up
to leave a music festival.
The latest release from these English chums appears to be more thought
out and well-choreographed. Showing growth and lack of fear, this album is one
of the best dance rock albums in recent memory.
For those new to the Cymbals they take all the elements of the bands
mentioned previously and fuse them together with their own touch to make
another great album.
Top Tracks
Winter ‘98
Empty Space
Call Me
The 5%
You Are
B Rating: 90
R Rating: 86
Overall: 88
Local Dates: No local dates at this time
Like this album? Try….from 2013
Foals – Holy Fire
Selebrities – Lovely Things
Limousines – Hush
Darwin Deez – Songs for Imaginative People
CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe
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