Broken Social Scene
Forgiveness Rock Record

I am biased, the Broken Social Scene were my initiators, the ones who introduced me to music made with and for transmitting passion. In this sense, the Canadian group, pioneers of the extended family format (at least a dozen depending on the period), have known how to evoke the most hidden impulses of the imagination through melodies seasoned with an innovative blend of alternative rock, electronic and pop. A sound with which I inevitably fall in love.
Riding the indie scene at its peak, when the hallmark of an indie-kid was still dressing in stripes and feeling a bit snobbish, those early years of the new millennium placed them in the realm of the untouchables of alternative rock. Many bands have arisen in the wake of their success, emulating them (or attempting to) with varying degrees of success. The fact remains that not many bands have such compositional insight and such a heterogenous character.

Their long-awaited fourth official work comes after a pause of more than five years since the self-titled album, during which time the North Americans certainly did not remain idle. The first guitarist Andrew Whiteman managed to release a couple of albums with his hybrid creation: Apostle of Hustle. Jason Collet also released a handful of albums. Meanwhile, the Broken Social Scene themselves released (and played) two albums presented as solo projects: the first by Kevin Drew released in 2007; the second by Brendam Canning published in 2008. This shows how the brilliant flow of ideas of the group never ceased. Over the years, something changes, it's inevitable; we then realize how this latest effort by the Canadian band has very little of the lo-fi patina that wrapped their earlier works, also reducing the unpredictability linked to the structural voids of their past compositions. Indeed, it seems that the guys (only “seven” on this occasion) have discovered mixing, which has not affected the final product in the least but has made it more accessible and immediate than ever.

“We're back, filthy world!” the Canadians seem to want to shout in the commanding opening of “World Sick,” equipped with a chorus that tears down walls (Justin Peroff's good contribution on the drums is crucial in this respect). We immediately recognize the guitars, the same as always, never trivial: they squeak in light delays, quiver under overdrive, or crash with distorted chords. We continue through bucolic gallops, electro-pop gems, and the classic art rock of BSS, where the boundary between melody and sentiment becomes thin. There is a playful compositional back and forth between Whiteman with “Art House Director” and the lopsided hip-hop of “Ungrateful Little Father” by Drew. “Romance to The Grave” then is an absolute peak of the band. The dreamy intro preludes to a linear and poignant pop, where a piano, protagonist and free to act, lays a mantle on which the violin bows splash around. The good Peroff finds, as usual, a phenomenal rhythm that changes the song's skin, and the back and forth of the choirs with the singing does the rest. But it's not enough; the band does not forget their playful soul; these artists never take themselves too seriously, making this clear with the best possible farewell, that of “Water in Hell,” a track that invites us to scream in falsetto all the ignorance that distinguishes humankind, because, as far as we know, there is water in hell.

I dive into it willingly then, welcome back Broken Social Scene.