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Broken Bells

Broken Bells

Label: Columbia

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Lets be honest, who really knows what a producer does. A singer sings, a drummer drums, a guitarist gee-tars, and a producer…produces? We know if they're not great it will be rubbish. But if they are great? I mean really great? What then? This my friends, this…

Tabled as a dream team, Broken Bells are Brian Burton (aka producer/artist Dangermouse) and James Mercer (vocalist/lead guitarist of The Shins). Now The Shins are pure diamond so if you don't know who they are stop now. Brian Burton has no doubt been floating about your radar and not as just half of Gnarls Barkley, but as super-producer for many an album in your iTunes (The Good, the Bad and the Queen; Demon Days; Modern Guilt; Dark Night of the Soul). These are enough reference points to get you through the next half hour.

Yes, clocking in at ten tracks and thirty-seven minutes means that three to four minutes is all your getting per track here. Nevertheless, there has clearly been more thought put into this than your average mix-tape. Opening track 'The High Road' is a corker, holding your attention throughout but never quite breaking into a full-sprint. But lets not dwell there.

Taking it up a notch is second single, and second track 'Vaporize'. More than any other track this is akin to Gnarls Barkley doing the Shins. Or is that the Shins doing Gnarls Barkley? Who knows? What we do have is melodic sentimental lyrics and acoustic guitar plastered over ground-shaking bass, organs, handclaps and enough experimentation to keep the laziest ears busy.

Indeed experimentation seems to be the name of the game here. 'Your Head Is On Fire' meets somewhere between later Flaming Lips and early Bowie (think Man Who Sold The World). 'Citizen' similarly skips around Air territory before running through the land of Super Furry Animals. All cosmic noises and extra-terrestrial echoes. 'The Ghost Inside' even smacks of the more experimental Gorillaz, or All Seeing I. Brilliantly executed, this has all these influences and more.

If there was one criticism, it is that all of the tracks are somewhat ponderous, and sentimental.  Missing amongst these is the full frontal ball-busting top ten number one. Of course, this may be something to applaud but you can't help but feel it is missing that knock out punch.

Having said that, final track 'The Mall & Misery' is one of the best album closers around. Starting out like the unnamed band who made The Good, the Bad and the Queen, this drifts into a Kasabian-esque chant along with shades of recent Rakes. Beautifully executed, moving at a comfortable pace, and never quite breaking a sweat, 'The Mall & Misery' is perhaps the best summary this album could have. - Matthew Coxon