4th October - Broken Social Scene's Broken Social Scene

Artist – Album: Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene

Released: 4^th October 2005

Sounds Like: Too many Canucks spoil the broth (slightly)

Practically every Canadian has, at some point, been part of Broken Social Scene. Feist has done it, Stars have done it, The Weakerthans and the Dears make their bow on this album, even the mountie from Due South and his dog have contributed (not really). You may think that having a door that is not so much revolving as tornadoing would result in messy, unfocused music, and, well, you would be right. But there's no question that it's a glorious mess.

Things came together most spectacularly on You Forgot It In People, but it's follow up Broken Social Scene is hardly a disappointment. Its best moments - the mesmerizing '7/4 Shoreline', the nervy 'Fire Eye'd Boy', the delicate 'Windsurfing Nation' - would have slotted in comfortably amongst the tracks in that superior album. There is a tendency, particularly towards the end of the record, for the songs to just bumble along, noodling away interminably. Still, with such a treasure trove of Torontonian talents, its generally an enjoyable goofing about.

Albumaday... rating: 7/10

1.       Our Faces Split the Coast in Half – 3:42

2.       Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) – 4:27

3.       7/4 (Shoreline) – 4:53

4.       Finish Your Collapse and Stay for Breakfast – 1:24

5.       Major Label Debut – 4:28

6.       Fire Eye’d Boy – 3:59

7.       Windsurfing Nation – 4:36

8.       Swimmers – 2:55

9.       Hotel – 4:35

10.   Handjobs for the Holidays – 4:39

11.   Superconnected – 5:39

12.   Bandwitch – 6:58

13.   Tremoloa Debut – 0:59

14.   It’s All Gonna Break – 9:55

Listen to ‘7/4 (Shoreline)’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uev2J_cBHjQ 

Also released on 4th October:
2005: My Morning Jacket - Z