Broken Bells: Danger Mouse joins Portland musician
Release Date: March 5, 2010
Length: 35:50
Genre: Alternative
Label: Columbia
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton is probably best known as being one half of the electro-funk/soul duo Gnarls Barkley. He is also the Rick Rubin of indie music production.
Whether it be the Gorillaz (2005’s “Demon Days”), The Black Keys (2008’s “Attack & Release”) or Beck (2008’s “Modern Guilt”), if you’re looking for success or revitalization within the genre of indie music, you’d better at least consider working with Danger Mouse at some point.
Most recently, we’ve seen Danger Mouse pop up with yet another “Super Duo.” This time he’s paired with James Mercer, lead singer of Portland-based band The Shins, under the name Broken Bells.
Random? Yes.
A good idea? Sure.
This album is Broken Bells’ self-titled debut and Mercer’s voice seems to fit fairly well with the musical ambiance that Danger Mouse provides as both producer and performer. But Mercer’s vocal style isn’t distinctive enough to make his pairing with Danger Mouse a likely one in terms of the popularity that is associated with Burton these days. I guess that’s why it seems random. But random is not always bad.
If you’re looking for catchy melodies as well as poppy and laid back beats, then “Broken Bells” is probably a good album for you. It provides a unique sound, which is always a welcome thing. Even though Mercer’s vocals might not be terribly distinctive, they do seem to work with Burton’s soulful production style, which has become well-known for its throwback/psychedelic feel.
After having listened to the album several times through, in some ways it feels a bit like the next Gnarls Barkley record only with a different singer. The songs aren’t anywhere near as up-tempo as a lot of Gnarls Barkley songs, but given the soul/funk/R&B tinge I halfway expected to hear Cee-Lo Green’s voice at first.
When elements of one album seem interchangeable with another, it usually means there’s not really anything special or anything that would make it stand out as a classic and, at the end of the day, “special” and “classic” aren’t terms I’d use to describe this album. Yes it’s good, but probably not enough to stand the test of time. However, it’s enjoyable and interesting enough that I’ll stay tuned to see what, if anything, these guys come up with next.
Broken Bells’ lead off single is the album’s opening track, “The High Road.” It’s a good track but it seems to have fallen prey to the perils of radio. Portland radio is in love with the song to the point that I already consider it over-played, so much so that when I listen to the album I usually start from track two.
Distinguishable tracks:
— Radio peril aside, “The High Road” really is a good track and is a prime example of great use of synths. Everything about the track screams that Danger Mouse was involved if you’re at all familiar with his work.
— “Vaporize,” with its brooding organ sound and seemingly-unfitting-but-not acoustic guitar.
— “The Ghost Inside” has a good beat and also has some fun handclaps, which have come to be a mainstay on any Danger Mouse album.
— “Mongrel Heart” is about as up-tempo as the album gets, which, by the time it rolls around as the second-to-last track on the album, is a welcome change of pace.
I’m not the biggest fan of indie music. I find a lot of it to be very hit or miss, but I enjoyed this experience because it takes elements from the indie scene and, by bringing Danger Mouse into the picture, makes the experience a bit more interesting. I wouldn’t say this is the greatest pairing since Simon & Garfunkel by any means, but this album is a fun one to throw on in the car if you’re spending your Saturday night cruising around town with nothing in particular to do.
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