Broken Bells - Broken Bells

The much hyped about side project known as Broken Bells have released their debut self-titled effort. Broken Bells is a collaboration between James Mercer, lead singer of The Shins and acclaimed producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse. What results from this collaboration is a beautiful and spectacular one that is far and away the best album of the year so far.

The album starts off with a bang on the disc's first single, "The High Road", a hauntingly beautiful track that is guaranteed to be put on repeat for quite some time in the immediate future. James and Danger Mouse both have incredible voices that blend together nicely with the rich melodies that are omnipresent at every turn on this track and every other one. "Vaporize" is an upbeat and melodic tune that makes great use out of keyboards to add a little diversity and give the listener something unexpected to keep them on their toes. "Your Head Is On Fire" is a mid-tempo, relaxed number that may seem a little odd to you after first hearing it, but will grow to appreciate it after repeated listens. "Sailing to Nowhere" is a calm, melancholy tune that would be the perfect song to play while you are sailing out on the ocean, as the title so implies.

As we head into the disc's second half, we come across my favorite song off the album, "Trap Doors", a melodic, wonderfully orchestrated tune that features a beautiful contrast of vocals between James and Danger Mouse that give you two distinct flavors, yet when they come together, they're all one in the same. "Citizen" is a dreamy, atmospheric tune that takes you away from it all with pleasant melodies and soothing vocals that will help you forget all your troubles. The disc's closing moments provide us with "October", a piano infused opus that excites on every level and James' vocals permeate through every crevice of the song with impeccable precision and leaves no stone unturned. "The Mall and Misery" closes out the album on a grand scale with an upbeat number that features melodic guitars and top notch vocal work from James and Danger Mouse, who looked like an unusual combination when written down on paper, but work together brilliantly and compliment each other so well on this album.

It's becoming more and more common nowadays for artists in established groups to reinvent themselves into other groups and dabble in genres that they themselves wouldn't have otherwise thought. Some examples include Andrew McMahon from Something Corporate, who later formed the introspective leaning Jack's Mannequin, and Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line, who created the experimental and intuitive Person L. Now, James Mercer of The Shins has seemingly reinvented himself with the help of Danger Mouse, and the two teamed up together have created something truly magical here that will be talked about for some time to come.

All in all, a fantastic effort from start to finish that gives a glimpse into the psyche of two musicians who no one expected to collaborate together, and as a result have created an utterly dynamic smash that has transcended all that is possible in the world of music and has shattered the notion that two artists from different genres can't come together to create something non-commercial. Buy this album now, you won't regret it!

                                                                                                                       Album Score: 5/5

Track Listing:

1. The High Road
2. Vaporize
3. Your Head Is On Fire
4. The Ghost Inside
5. Sailing to Nowhere
6. Trap Doors
7. Citizen
8. October
9. Mongrel Heart
10. The Mall and Misery