Customer Reviews

Broken Social Scene (2 Discs)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The product was sent and delivered very quickly to me. The CD arrived in perfect condition. It was everything I had hoped for!

Broken Social Scene has done an amazing job with this album. The single off this disc is 7/4 (Shoreline) which just sounds like a huge party. Their positive sounding melodies and catchy tunes will have you keep this in your cd player for a long time.

In 2003, this Canadian group's second album, You Forgot It in People, gracefully went boom, reminding lots of people why they love indie rock-- the shambling ecstasy, the pitch-perfect experimentation, the unabashed heart-on-sleeveness of it all. The collective reacts to the furor by expanding and magnifying; another six members join the brood for its self-titled third full-length, and the band's once-refined studio sound is blown up into a pixilated blur of blood-gush guitars and squall-of-sound production that's somehow meticulously unhinged. This exercise in excess makes the ambitious You Forgot It in People seem positively understated by comparison.

Not too long ago I found out that Kevin Drew, the ringleader of BSS said this album is all about FEAR. Thematically, this makes sense. I feel that the overall sound is bigger, looser, grungier, dirtier [as epitomized on disc 2: Canada VS America], and more chaotic than it's tightly controlled and immaculate predecessor "You Forgot it in People." Voices, genres,dozens of sound effects and instruments meld together. Vocals are very low in the mix so lyrics are rather hard to discern, very appropriate because most people don't like to expose their fears. But when you do understand them, you may hear something like the 'stabbed in the back' line in track 2, Ibi Dreams of Pavement. Also on the song Shoreline [7/4], despite it's poppy feel, the lyrics seem to reflect the uncertainty, angst and fear some people get when making certain choices in life. There are some songs that seem to go nowhere, similar to the state of shock some people get in and they don't make any progress. The fantastic album closer It's All Gonna Break, the most ironic song in I've ever heard, starts up, slows down then starts up again, refusing to end... but then glorious, trimphant horns kick in to end everything on an optimisic note.

The 2 disc edition is totally worth it. Highlights: fast version of Major Label debut, Canada vs America ['the big guns are comin' out!], All My Friends, and Feel Good Lost Reprise. Also I really like the DIY album cover and accompanying booklet.

This is exactly what I expect from a collective of musicians .. they experiment, they try new things, they push the envelope, they don't fall into the trappings of a 'safe pop song' .. this is bringing out the best in several musicians. Feist and Metric (yes Metric! and yes I'm a fan of theirs too) to name a few.

It lacks heart? I don't think so, just because no one is stepping out in the forefront doesn't mean it lacks heart. The instrumentation is AMAZING with all the subtle time changes, layers and variety of sounds. I imagine they're having a great time doing what they're doing. We know the identities of the musicians, but screw that! They're saying it's the music that counts, and let the music speak for itself. It might be mellow, and the vocals might be subdued, but they achieve a mood and styling that is unique and make the sum much greater than its individual parts. This album is a fun exercise in musicianship, I only wish more musicians would get together and improvise like this.

Job well done folks..

i see what they were trying to do here but alas this album falls under the 'no go' category. i bought it thinking 'hey, you forgot it in people was incredible so why should this be any less?' needless to say the disjointed sounds of the entire band playing different songs at different tempos at different volumes did not find me raving about the original edge of the new BSS album. this self titled attempt is a perfect example of what you'd get if you sampled the first 45 seconds of every song on any decent album, strung them together put it on cd and tried to play it on a 15 year old cd player that had been sitting behind a work bench in the garage since 1995.
broken social scenes attempt to make an album that sounds like one of their rockinest live jam shows was a serious swing with a much disappointing miss.
i get what you were trying to do guys. but better luck next time.

I can't see why people are saying that this album isn't as good as their last (You Forgot it in People). I think this CD is twice as good. You Forgot...was too mellow for the most part but this is for the most part awesome, upbeat tracks. I guess, maybe, some of it is a little too experimental for some people, and there is a lack of "lead" vocals like another reader said, but this is such a more creative and interesting endevure. If there was a 4.5 out of 5 stars I'd give it that.

After the amazing breakthrough album "You Forgot it in People" I didn't know what to expect from Broken Social Scene. I knew it would be good regardless, but I just didn't realise it would be this good. I think that overall I would rate this album even higher than YFIIP. Of course it's all personal opinion anyway. I wonder what BSS' next album will sound like? I can't wait to find out!

Imagine a collective group of sounds without any soul. This album REALLY lacks upfront lyrics, and vocals. This is in my opinion essential in rock music (which is what BSS is). They have cool little grooves here and there, but where is the "pulse"! The "heart"!
Let me just say it's good music to study to, or great background music. But when it comes to saying to your best friend "let me show you a great song or two!" It's a bit underwhelming.

I've read a lot of comparisons to "You Forget it in People," for the most part declaring this CD not as good as. Of course, YFIP is an amazing CD and would be incredibly hard to top. However, I'm going to buck the trend and declare this the best yet from Broken Social Scene. I thought so the first time I heard this CD and I still think so after months of play. Compared to YFIP, BSS has a lot more instruments, a lot more noise, (and a lot more band members), but it all works beautifully. A thoroughly enjoyable purchace.