Broken Bells
After the Disco
3/5

Collaborations are often exciting. Just think of James Blake and Chance The Rapper cruising in a convertible car, chanting about life. However, in this particular case it’s something a bit more conservative and time-tested, yet thrilling at first blush nonetheless.

Broken Bells are an LA indie-pop act consisting of Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse (whose music portfolio includes such diverse projects as Danger Doom, Gnarls Barkley and producing the delectable Gorillaz’ album Demon Days) and James Mercer, the Shins’ frontman. Having started in 2009, they have now released their sophomore album titled After the Disco.

Curiously (and not in a good way), the opening track ‘Perfect World’ seems to describe the overall nature of the offering per se as it develops from a rhythmically perfect space-pop-sounding arrangement of somewhat old-fashioned buoyant synths into a rather repetitive piece of music with a weirdly fitting guitar solo. “Though we know it’s over/ It keeps exploding” warbles Mercer, and indeed, the duo attempt to maximise the opener’s effect, which unnaturally makes it more than 6 minutes long.

The highlight of this LP is ‘Holding On For Life’, a radio-friendly tuneful piece that fails to differentiate itself from the rest of After the Disco, however, appears to be perhaps the most appealing version of this adjusted sound that we get to hear throughout the album.

And that’s the main problem with After the Disco: by utilising their impressive experience in an over-diligent, straightforward fashion, Broken Bells create a well-produced set of sonically and lyrically charming numbers which, however, are disappointingly one-sided.

https://soundcloud.com/brokenbellsmusic/holding

Stepan Nilov