Preview: Broken Social Scene
Written by Maya on October 23, 2017
Photo by Norman Wong
Broken Social Scene
FFO: Wolf Parade, Do Make Say Think, Arcade Fire
Hug of Thunder, the new album album by Broken Social Scene, comes seven years after their last release. While this may be a long hiatus, the album couldn’t have come at a better moment–Broken Social Scene’s widescreen rock is the perfect salve for these trying times. Broken Social Scene are an indie rock ensemble that make some of the most rejoiceful, uplifting music this gloomy Portlander is willing to listen to. Touting 15 band members including founders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning as well as heavy hitters Leslie Feist and Emily Haines, this band is a force to be reckoned with. The album title “Hug of Thunder” is a good description of how they use this powerful force to muster up positivity.
While it is a natural inclination to brace oneself for disappointment when an old favorite band announces their return, fellow fans who spent their teen years dancing around their bedrooms to songs like “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year Old Girl” need not despair. Broken Social Scene were welcomed back gleefully by the press; They earned the coveted “Best New Music” title on Pitchfork and Spin described Hug of Thunder as being “the most cohesive record in Broken Social Scene’s catalogue so far.”
Any band with a plethora of members is bound to be instrumentally focused, however, Broken Social Scene satisfies the nerdy musician without compromising pop sensibilities. While each song is built on layers and layers of sound melody shines through; these are songs that you can fully lose yourself to while still getting stuck in your head.
Find Broken Social Scene on Facebook / Listen to Broken Social Scene on Spotify / See Broken Social Scene at Crystal Ballroom on October 24th.
PSU