Broken Social Scene's new self-titled album clearly reflects the value of massive collaboration. Containing no less than 17 members, this indie pseudo-orchestra has created a new soundtrack for the avant-garde.
Most of the songs on the album are heavily layered with multiple guitar parts, a multitude of vocal tracks, and the sonorous wailings of a brass ensemble. The end result is a soundtrack which rewards the listener with intense musical catharsis. This is clearly evident during songs like '7/4,' whose title comes from the song's time signature. Playful guitars and ethereal vocals quickly build '7/4' into a complex indie-rock epic.
The trouble with the album is the fact that its intensity is constant'the listener is not granted any reprieve from the album's intrinsic chaos. The album's rhythmical scheme is a constant onslaught of tempos approaching the speed of a freight train being dropped from the stratosphere. The rhythmic frenzy is only intensified by the layering effects, leaving the listener's cognitive faculties drained after just one evaluation of the album.
One consequence of the musical intensity in the album is that its lyrics are almost completely lost amid its chaos. The song 'Windsurfing Nation' is a prime example of this, as its lyrics are buried within a frenzied chorus of layered vocals.
Broken Social Scene's sole flaw in their newest album lies in the fact that they've attempted to completely damn convention in their collaborative efforts'the strange ambient choral noise, for example, can be difficult to listen to. However, the band purposefully rewards the listener for taking the time to carefully pick through the album's complexity by inserting carefully orchestrated chord progressions amid the hectic rhythms and disorienting vocal schemes.
From beginning to end, each song provides context for the next and the album quickly becomes a dreamscape that engrosses the listener in an alternate reality of sound. Sans a totally discernible lyrical structure, the album still manages to convey a great deal of emotional energy, allowing the listener to further identify with the music.
This disparate orchestra of indie-rockers clearly embodies the ability to transcend musical convention and the sound of their newest album is a refreshing respite from the all-too-predictable sound produced by corporate rockers and pop stars. Broken Social Scene is clearly the new symphony of the avant-garde and have produced a powerful opus for indie music.
