I’ve always thought that albums by supergroups should start with a spoken word introduction, read by a po-faced announcer: “Warning: These recordings may contain self-indulgent noodling by a collection of musicians who, together, form less than the sum of their parts.”
That’s definitely the case with Forgiveness Rock Record by Toronto art-collective Broken Social Scene. After a five year hiatus, ringleaders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning gathered up 18 musicians (Leslie Feist among them) to prove that too many cooks not only spoil the broth - they also leave things half-baked.
‘All to All’, for example, features Lisa Lobsinger cooing over skittering percussion and woozy violins, but she sounds slightly bored (understandably so, there is no discernable tune). ’Chase Scene’ is a speedy electro number which aims for high drama horror but sounds more like Rocky Horror. ‘World Sick’ wants to be epic but never scales the same heights as ‘Lover’s Spit’ did on 2002’s You Forgot It In People.
Elsewhere, the problem isn’t a lack of ideas, but rather, too many of them: ‘Meet Me In The Basement’ appears to be a competition between several lead guitarists pulling in different directions; ‘Ungrateful Little Father’ has piano, melodica and keyboard vying for supremacy, but they cancel each other out.
This album is the product of decisions made by committee. Any clear vision is lost in a fog of compromise.
By Andy McLean. Copyright held by author.
Article first published in The Brag, Sydney, 2010.
Forgiveness Rock Record is available through Arts & Crafts.
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