Think of Broken Social Scene as the indie-rock Wu-Tang Clan. The collective’s umpteen members come together now and again to make records that put the sum-is-greater-than-it-parts supergroup axiom to the ultimate test. Few would deny 2002’s blissfully fluid You Forgot It in People passed with high marks; and while 2005’s self-titled album felt disjointed, it was a joyful jumble, full of songs worthy of distinction.
The Details
Five years later comes Forgiveness Rock Record, an even more scatterbrained affair bookended by seven minutes of political outrage and a short ode to masturbation. Its 14 tracks and 63 minutes feel overlong, littered with filler and poorly sequenced. And yet, there’s a lot to like: opener “World Sick” (old-school BSS sound with a new lyrical edge),” Art House Director” (horn-y funk-pop) and “Sentimental X’s” (a sliver of Emily Haines-sung ambrosia), to name a few. How to make it flow better next time? Maybe call in the RZA.
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