Is it really five years since the last Broken Social Scene album? It really doesn’t feel like it. Perhaps it’s the ubiquity borne out of their indie megastardom, perhaps it’s the not-quite-solo, not-quite-BSS records released by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning since 2005’s eponymous effort. Either way, it feels like they’ve never been away. However, that didn’t stop the initial announcement of Forgiveness Rock Record’s arrival being greeted with a feverish level of anticipation only matched so far this year by The National. Like Messrs Berninger, Dessner et al, BSS were on a bit of a hiding to nothing in trying to satisfy expectations, however Forgiveness Rock Record, like High Violet, comfortably achieves this feat.
Impressively for a band whose membership is so befuddlingly fluid, Broken Social Scene have been quietly cultivating an entirely specific sound ever since You Forgot it in People. Their albums have always been pretty diverse affairs (and Forgiveness Rock Record is no exception), but there have always been odd common threads loosely woven throughout their music, that creaky guitar, for instance, or that slightly dusty feel to the production, all of which serve to make a Broken Social Scene record instantly recognisable. Forgiveness Rock Record has this same sense about it, yet is still markedly different to anything yet released by BSS.
The biggest difference to a lot of the band’s previous work is that large chunks of Forgiveness Rock Record show a greater focus on more conventional song structures than usual, which is no bad thing. You might be surprised to hear it of a mass conglomerate of indie experimentalists, but when they want to, BSS can do pop pretty nicely thank you. ‘Art House Director’ is the finest example of this, a glorious slice of fun driven by a bounding brass refrain which races breathlessly onwards. ‘Meet Me in the Basement’, too, is similarly unrestrained in the joyousness which seeps out of its instrumental elegance.
Broken Social Scene have featured their fair share of big name female singers over the years, but one of Forgiveness Rock Record’s most gorgeous moments comes courtesy of one of their less feted chanteuses in Lisa Lobsinger. ‘All to All’ is heartbreakingly pretty, all woozy and lovelorn, and also has a disarmingly catchy groove to it. Perhaps the competition from Lobsinger has inspired Emily Haines, who in response turns in one of her most seductive vocals in years on the irresistibly sexy ‘Sentimental X’s’. It would be misguided to think that it’s just the girls who are capable of sending a tingle down the listener’s spine, though. ‘Sweetest Kill’ creeps up on you after a few listens, gently tugging at your sleeve for attention, and it is Kevin Drew’s careworn vocal which is largely responsible for this. For years, Drew has been a master of understated emotion, and this is one of the finest moments of his enviable career.
It probably won’t come as a surprise to hardened Broken Social Scene listeners that Forgiveness Rock Record isn’t without its missteps. There are undoubtedly times when the album can frustrate, such as with the aimless closer ‘Me and My Hand’, or the throwaway ‘Ungrateful Little Father’. And the less said about the ill-advised ‘Scoody-doody’ bits at the start of ‘Highway Slipper Jam’, the better. That said, the slack quality control which comes with their chaotic make-up is part of the band’s appeal. After all, how often do we berate bands for being a bit too slick? Besides, none of the record’s faults can possibly take anything away from its high points, which are as plentiful as they are enriching. Forgiveness Rock Record is definitely as much of a slow burner as any previous BSS efforts, but it’s at least as good as any of them.
4/5
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