Friday, March 19, 2010
By Isaac Siegemund-Broka
Contributing Writer
When two polar opposites are brought together, the result usually goes one of two ways: a confusing and terrible disaster or an amazing and unique blend of the two.
“Broken Bells,” the self-titled debut album by a new group composed of the Shins’ frontman James Mercer and Gorillaz producer Danger Mouse, is a brilliant example of the latter.
Released on March 9, “Broken Bells” artfully blends both Mercer’s and Danger Mouse’s very different tones into music that sounds like nothing created by either artist before.
The album opens with “The High Road,” an emotional and well-crafted song that quickly shows a perfect blend of the two artists’ musical styles.
Synthesized woodwinds and a Gorillaz-esque beat begin the song. It looks like Danger Mouse will stylistically dominate the album, until Mercer begins his vocal stylings.
The vocals of the Broken Bells are softly contemplative throughout the verse until the high and strained vocal style (sometimes heard in the Shins’ repertoire) enters at the chorus.
A slow drumbeat follows Mercer, and after it a choir that alternately accompanies and harmonizes with him. The lyrics suit the mood, relating how it is difficult to change the course of one’s life after a certain point,.
The following tracks are all extremely unique, but the balance between Mercer and Danger Mouse stays relatively constant. The music stays different from the former work of both musicians, however, mainly due to the production and the emotions behind each song.
“Broken Bells,” unlike much of Mercer’s other music, is remarkably complex, with a multitude of effects and unusual instruments—an organ is prominently featured on “Vaporize” and “Sailing to Nowhere,” strings are included on “The Mall and Misery” and “Your Head is on Fire,” and “Mongrel Heart” features a trumpet.
The songs also vary in style. “Citizen” is slow and ballad-like, the kind of song that would play in a movie when two lovers must unwillingly part. “Vaporize” is fun but reflective, revolving around organ chords and acoustic guitar.
While the vocals stay constant for most of the songs on the album, Mercer does occasionally step out of his comfort zone, most notably with the well-executed falsetto lyrics in “The Ghost Inside.” The lyrics lean toward dark and somber imagery—Mercer sings, “the innocent are bound to be damned” in the chorus of “Citizen,” and “there’s a dark time, this is a dark life” on “The Mall and Misery.”
Neither musician knew what they wanted the album to sound like when they started to work. Nonetheless, the album came together due to the genius of both of its creators.
When attempting to write a new song for “Broken Bells,” the duo would play random instruments until finding something both of them were happy with and work from that point, resulting in a very diverse range of sounds. The album, however, always sticks to its heavy electronica influences and Mercer’s classic Shins-reminiscent vocals.
“Broken Bells” took the electronica and highly produced sound of Danger Mouse and the indie/alternative sound of James Mercer and mixed them into a well-rounded and cohesive album that ended up sounding completely different than both Mercer and Danger Mouse’s previous projects.
The basic ideas behind both musicians’ former work are lifted, elaborated on and then churned out as something completely different. The album managed to stay eclectic while sticking to its contributors’ musical influences.
“Broken Bells” is available now in record stores or on iTunes for $9.99.
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