Broken Social Scene Will Not Rest Until Every Member Has Their Own Solo Album

Broken Social Scene are so damn likable that they actually influence my opinion of Canada as a whole. Nobody has as much fun making music and very few bands work as hard as they do. Between recording excellent proper BSS albums, the 19 members that comprise the collective spend their time recording and collaborating with many different bands like Do Make Say Think, Apostle of Hustle, Metric, Feist, Raising The Fawn, Stars, Junior Blue, Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton, and many more. Basically, there's never a time when at least 3-4 of those bands have a new album out, which makes the members of Broken Social Scene the hardest working Canadians in show business (my apologies to Alex Trebeck ).

In recent times the Broken Social Scene brand has branched out into solo projects. Last year they released the first of these projects, titled (appropriately) Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew, Spirit If. . ., and it ended up being one of the more enjoyable releases of the year. This time around BSS is back to support the first 'solo' effort from founding member Brendan Canning.

Something For All Of Us is a befitting title, as there are many faces to the moods found on this collection of songs. As one would expect from any BSS-affiliated effort, there are moments of beautiful chaotic energy ("Hit the Wall", "Possible Grenade") tempered by more deliberate snippets of melodic balladry ("Snowballs and Icicles", "Been At It So Long"). While at other times Brendan drives the ship towards more groovy pastures ("Love Is New").

Whatever the vibe being showcased, the real star is always the carefree rhythmic dynamic of the Broken Social Scene sound. I can't overstate how refreshing it is to hear a group of musicians who obviously relish playing with each other. Their enthusiasm for making music for music's sake is both entertaining and admirable. I can't wait to see how that spirit manifests itself next weekend when they headline the Sunset Junction Street Fair.

Update: The audio player links work for me in Safari and Opera, but not in Firefox or Internet Explorer. I have no idea if this is a problem only for me, or if it relates to the browser. Please leave a comment if you are having problems listening to the songs.

Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning - "Hit The Wall" (from Something For All Of Us)

Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning - "Love Is New" (from Something For All Of Us)


Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning - "Snowballs and Icicles" (from Something For All Of Us)

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The 20 Best Albums of 2007 - Kevin Drew: "Spirit If..."

9.  Broken Social Scene is quickly turning into the white indie rock version of the Wu Tang Clan. Think about it, each group is massive in size, each has siphoned off an ungodly amount of solo/side project material (Ghostface, Metric, Raekwon, Method Man, Feist, Do Make Say Think, Apostle of Hustle, etc., etc., etc.), and each "solo" project usually includes appearances from members of their respective collectives.

Spirit If... represents the first in a series of "Broken Social Scene Presents:" albums showcasing the solo talents of a different member of BSS. Of course, I use the term "solo" loosely as basically everyone from BSS makes at least one appearance on the record. This isn't a bad thing since I am always of the opinion the more the merrier when it come to BSS.

That isn't to say that Sprit If... is merely a BSS record repackaged as a solo effort. On the contrary, Kevin Drew's skills as a singer and songwriter are definitely the focal point here. Moments like "Safety Bricks", "Broke Me Up" and "Gang Bang Suicide" are some of the highlights of the album, giving us a glimpse of what Drew sounds like when he strips down the music to its most basic forms. Of course, the frenetic multi-layered anthems "Lucky Ones" and "Backed Out on the..." are pretty freaking great in their own right.

Perhaps I should rethink applying the "solo" label so loosely to this album since its brilliance lies in how it showcases Drew in two distinct roles. That of the perfect frontman to one of rock music's most dynamic bands and also as a gifted songwriter who is equally at home sans the bells and whistles of his bandmates.

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Song of the Day - Kevin Drew: "Lucky Ones"

There aren't many bands out there right now that I like more than Toronto's Broken Social Scene. Not only are all their albums great (their last two are especially exceptional), but they put on one of the more entertaining live shows you will see. I think the fact that the band has 16 members has something to do with how fun their music is to listen to. If you listen to any of the various solo and side projects affiliated with the band (Feist, Metric, Stars, Do Make Say Think, etc.) it is pretty obvious that they music with an ambition and energy that seeks to fill the room with sound. Every time I listen to BSS I am always aware of how my mood instantly becomes brighter and upbeat, which is a direct response to the anthemic nature of their sound.

Needless to say, when I heard lead singer Kevin Drew was releasing his first solo record I was giddy with excitement. And now that I have had the chance to give Spirit If a few listens, I am pretty sure this album will make it towards the top of my Best Albums of 2007 list (and yes, I am making mental notes about which albums will make the cut). Why the high praise after only one day of owning the album? Because Drew is able to duplicate the infectious energy of BSS (perhaps the help of most of his band mates has something to do with it) while still giving the album an identity all it's own.

On "Lucky Ones" the whole BSS crew pitches in and the result is a beautifully arranged epic that builds and builds with layer upon layer of instrumentation. Basically it is a nearly seven minute crash course in everything that is wonderful about the collective of musicians that is Broken Social Scene. For me, it is a song that inspires the kind of uplifting moments that I never grow tired of.

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