#7 – Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Before you start thinking I get all my album from recommendations, here’s one that needed no help from an outside source. I had been excited about the Broken Bells album for awhile and it was one of the releases this past year I had circled on my virtual calendar. To catch up the uninitiated, the group, as such, is really centered on the duo of The Shins singer/songwriter James Mercer and producer/multi-instrumentalist Danger Mouse. Out of that, it’s a combination of Mercer’s indie-rock sensibilities combined with Mr. Mouse’s more hip-hop leanings and makes for a compelling listen. Oh and before I forget, they were actually one of the few acts on this list I actually didn’t forget to go see live as I caught them in October at the Wiltern.
If there’s an issue I have with this set, much like the MGMT disc, is that I really don’t feel a huge connection to the songs, but I still love the sound they make. Sometimes that’s good enough. So why this high on the list, then? Much like an album yet to come, when I was going over the list I saw that the songs here had been played at an alarming rate on my iTunes library so that seemed to indicate it had gotten a lot of play in the past nine months or so and that said something to me.
As for tunes, lead single “The High Road” was everywhere for awhile and a great way to kick off the album. Even though it was pushed hard, I could never get into “The Ghost Inside” as there was just something about the falsetto thing Mercer does in it. That might be just me. I also think the three song run that ends the disc, from “October” to “The Mall and Misery”, is fantastic. Overall it’s a good album, and we’ll see if it’s just one-off or if more is on the way, and if you’re looking for an album to throw on for almost any occasion, you won’t be disappointed. Here are a few videos.
The High Road
Vaporize
The Mall and Misery
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