trad's music blog: Broken Bells

Posted by Andreas Trantidis

Saturday, March 27, 2010 1 comments

Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Artist: Broken Bells
LP: Broken Bells
Year: 2010
Genre: Indie rock
Artists' origin: America
Label: Columbia Records

Tracklisting:

"The High Road" – 3:54
"Vaporize" – 3:32
"Your Head Is on Fire" – 3:06
"The Ghost Inside" – 3:19
"Sailing to Nowhere" – 3:46
"Trap Doors" – 3:19
"Citizen" – 4:29
"October" – 3:37
"Mongrel Heart" – 4:26
"The Mall and Misery" – 4:06

Album's playlist:

No doubt, Broken Bells' first album was one of the releases that we have been expecting with great anticipation since its final release date (March 9 2010). And this because of the very interesting cooperation of the two artists that compose the band.

The first one is the American musician and producer Danger Mouse (real name: Brian Joseph Burton). Having been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Producer of the Year (in 2008) for the “Modern Guilt”, (Beck's album) and worked with the Gorillaz (2005) and many other important musicians, Danger Mouse is considered to be one of the most talented producers of our days.

James Russell Mercer is the second member. You may have already recognized the name as James is the front man, creator and lead vocalist of the Shins. Mercer has, also, participated on the latest Modest Mouse's album making backing vocals in a number of songs. It seems that “Mouse” was destined for James. But not Modest, Mickey or any other Mouse. It was Danger Mouse.

Back to 2004. The two men met each other on a Danish music festival and as it turned out, they were funs of the other's work. Immediately they started recording and experimenting in a potential cooperation and boom! It was the 29th of September 2009 when the two artists officially announced their new project “Broken Bells”.

The band's first album was released in March 9, 2010 by Columbia Records. A 10 tracks', 35 minutes and 50 seconds' album that, in our opinion, is worth waiting. The sound is “clear” and crystal, as Brian Burton worked on the production with a very relaxed and easy mood, leaving out any “dirty”, “experimental” or “strange” touches, providing all the available space to its partner to fill in all the songs, exactly in the same mood and manner.

Even though the album is categorized as “indie rock” the Danger Mouse's production is far beyond everything else we have heard during this year (2010). A smooth electric cover with delicate and polite electro sounds pairs perfectly, in harmony, with the physical, undistorted voice of a rather big variety of instruments (guitars, pianos and wind instruments) creating the relaxing atmosphere of the “Broken Bells” planet. The rock origins of James Mercer and the songs' rock compositions complete the alternative and original Broken Bells' approach on the concurrent indie rock sound.

A fantastic first album, that undoubtedly is going to have more than one of its songs on the UK and American charts, which is 100% worth listening and, why not, buying.