MILES OF TRANE: YES. With their first album under the Broken Social Scene banner in five years, Forgiveness Rock Record has certainly been highly anticipated.The group continues to live up to its billing as a collective, each song sounding both like a natural progression and stand alone feature for various musical voices, which it is. The first song has been available as a free download for at least a couple of months and is included in the 8Tracks mix embedded below called Broken Pavement -- you may have to wade through other songs with a 'broken' connection to get to "World Sick" -- a fantastic opening number that sets the tone for the entire album. The second tune has a Bee Gees disco feel -- without a true disco beat -- that is wonderful even if you spent the 70s looking for somebody to kill. (Some of us were alive then). "Sweetest Kill" would have fooled me for a Beach House song if I weren't able to tell on some level that it isn't Victoria Legrand singing -- or can I really be sure? The album didn't really need "Water in Hell" with its "The shuck and jive is over" refrain but its a small sin to forgive -- and in fairness some have said "Water in Hell" should have closed the album since the finale that follows is even more anti-climactic in the eyes of some (I'm still debating this point). I won't go through each track but with those caveats the album easily keeps up the pace throughout, with a variety of approaches, and is worthy of its critical acclaim.
Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record 8.3/10.0 (Best New Music designation)
Forgiveness Rock Record reviews at Metacritic.com 81/100 (Universal Acclaim)
The band's site.
