Broken Social Scene - London Barfly @ Monarch - 14/7/03
5/5
By: Toby L
When you enter the building-equivalent of a claustrophobic, sweat-dripping, temperature-accelerating cess-pit (tonight's inhumanely rammed Monarch), the last thing you need is an obtrusive, pretentious band in view. And, thankfully, Broken Social Scene, our saviours from the surrounding enclave, realise just this.
'Let's have a good time together,' vocalist Kevin Drew utters upon entrance, an endearing Poly Spree grin emerging from his stubbled cheeks... Our hearts have melted before a chord has even been struck.
Not that anyone that's been blessed to hear the monstrosity of a wonder that is the group's current second-LP, 'You Forgot It In People', would be surprised. Possibly the definitive alt-record of 2003, it veers and surges between joy, comedy and hope without any notion of nauseous twee, whilst bearing enough edge to axe off the heads of fellow Canadians, Godspeed You Black Emperor! Nearly criminally diverse, its ten conjurors form the most gleaming, genre-crossing hybrid of uplift-pop you'll hear this side of The Thrills.
So, this evening is a suitably anticipated one. Not that the obvious is provided. Immediately setting into sound, new material is disembarked in a gracious, elevating 'Marquee Moon' sort of fashion - shimmering, gliding guitars and soaring, reverb-ridden vox - whilst the caked-in-perspiration onlookers drop their bottles of Evian in collective awe. By the time we hit familiar terrain - the clunking, Interpol-ian meat of 'Cause = Time' - we might as well surrender our souls immediately and just be done with it all.
The bassy, debut-UK single 'Stars & Sons', sung by Brendan Canning, is positively beaming and teeming with charisma live - minimalist, yet rousing - whilst their 'English rip-off' b-side, 'Do The 95' is loud, brash and snotty. The earnt breather comes in the form of a gorgeous, tear-jerking and apt for the setting, 'Looks Like Just The Sun' - the feelgood classic Buckley failed to pen, all scattery guitars and beauteous vocal-parts, almost woefully poignant. But just as the heart-strings aren't so much pulled as nigh-on torn off, 'Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl' hits earth, as soothing, understated and absorbing as they come.
The fact our collective then shuffle into their best song yet, a restless blend between Chrissie Hynde urgency and restrained majesty - later declared to be entitled 'Seven-Four', or 'Shoreline', and - allegedly - the first single to be lifted from their next LP, is all our perk, topped by a frantic, engaging, provocative 'Almost Crimes' - replete with expert rawk poseur from guitarist Jason Collett. Applause now deafening, 'KC Accidental' is called for, and that's what we're flummoxed with: a ravaging, loud and wrestling, largely instrumental, climax.
Seemingly, not just the producers of the finest record you'll hear all year, yet the finest circus-show and live-experience presently in operation, the only asset more binding to Broken Social Scene than their sheer, vivid intensity, is the magic key to their enterprise: a group-spirit that, to crack, would be quite possibly a near-impossible, albeit deeply unnecessary, mission. BSS are the sound of harmonious community - one which you'll yearn to be a part of.
Artists in this article: Broken Social Scene
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