You may not be familiar with the group
Broken Bells (even though you really should) but you will know the
key players. This duo consists of The Shins vocalist James Mercer and
multi-instrumentalist / producer extraordinaire Brian “Danger
Mouse” Burton. While Broken Bells might live under the long shadow
of Danger Mouse's other famous duo (i.e. Gnarls Barkley) in 2010 they
released an excellent debut album. Broken Bells
was a masterful piece of future-facing indie pop. The starts have
aligned for these two auteurs to record a follow up and that album is
After the Disco.
If the title makes
it sound like a comedown record, the sort you throw on in the wee
hours of Sunday morning after a long night of parties and assorted
hedonism, that's because it is. You practically feel the dim lighting
and the slow, woozy euphoria leeching out. To this end the music is
heavily informed by the 80s. Even if it borrows liberally from
Cocteau Twins and The Pet Shop Boys this is not a cheap throwback.
There is enough sheen and crunch present to remind you this is 2014.
The lucid basslines and bright shimmering harmonies leap right out at
you and take hold.
The real stars of
the show are Mercer and his brittle timbre. Almost every track puts
them both front and center, pushed right to the fore of the mix and
with good reason. 'Lazy Wonderland', 'Holding on for Life', and many
more besides are elevated into living breathing creations by his
voice and strength of character alone. This is certainly not to
diminish the contribution of Danger Mouse and his mighty quirks. His
tunes are as sharp as they have always been. He knows exactly when to
go all in ('The Changing Light') but he is well able to yield the
spotlight for his co-star.
After the Disco is
very much an album for our day and age. It is made by two
well-respected musicians, makes plentiful reference to a bygone era,
and is supported by star-studded music videos. With this band and
this album James Mercer is able to adopt a poppy-er, more fun loving
persona than he usually gets to and Danger Mouse can add another
notch to his already impressive list of accomplishments. Keep all that in
mind when you have this record cranking at top volume as the sun rises one morning.
Rating: B+
Recommended tracks:
Holding on For Life, No Matter What You're Told
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