Broken Social Scene

Music Reviews Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene

Dear Broken Social Scene,

There is no doubt within the collective psyche of the independent rock music community: You will all be sorely missed. I only write in the past tense because, unfortunately, we have all been informed of your “indefinite hiatus.”

The concept of a rotating cast of ridiculously talented, once-obscure indie musicians spontaneously banding together is, well, really cool. The fact that said cast managed to craft some of the most singularly diverse, touching, riveting and inspired pop music of the last seven years demands acclaim. How your band managed to seamlessly integrate two drum sets, a horn section, three guitars, keys and insert-instrument-here into an air-tight machine of flawless melody and fury is beyond comprehension. There isn’t one human being with ears who didn’t prickle at the Machiavellian outro of “Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)” as the horns swelled into a cathartic crescendo of near-devastating grandiosity. There isn’t one romantic whose heart didn’t liquefy at the fragile piano motives of “Lover’s Spit” as Feist’s voice gently waltzed around the harmonies like a lovesick teenager discovering the beauty and comfort of commitment (your version was really good too, Kevin).

As a live experience, hearing your performances was akin to being submerged into audio ice water. The transitions were almost always flawless, all notes and beats intertwined into your sonic collages that built and tumbled with subtle grace and undeniable energy. There’s a reason that your fans were pissed off at Lollapalooza when you were denied an encore during your lengthy 45-minute set; your gigs possessed an intangible and sensational buzz that comes from single melodies inflating into roaring opuses of uncompromising magnitude. “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” and “Almost Crimes” reached kinetic heights of momentum in a live setting that could never be duplicated or processed through a paltry speaker system. The overlapping cadences and vibrations imbued a body of emotion and power that belies the skill and commitment of you all.

Whatever the future may hold, I certainly wish you the best in whatever endeavors each of you undertake. You will always be my Broken Social Scene, and I will always be your fan.

Yours truly,
Sean Edgar

PS- Great show at the Variety, by the way. Your new song, “Halloween Comes Early To Atlanta,” definitely deserves the single treatment.

Share Tweet Submit Pin