Something interesting occurs roughly halfway through your first listen of Forgiveness Rock Record, it seemingly becomes less of an experience of anticipating the return of your favourite Canadian super-troupe and more a practice of finding something new to love about them.
The fact that long-term Broken Social Scene producer Dave Newfeld has been replaced with John McEntire (The Sea & Cake, Tortoise) has undisputedly changed the way this record was created. FRR is missing Newfeld's noisy and chaotic style of production which can at times leave the album's more minimal moments feeling sparse and empty. The fact that this coincides with a tighter than ever BSS line-up means that a change in direction, however small, was to be expected.
Album-opener 'World Sick' sets things in motion with its familiar stomping rhythm and Sonic Youth-inspired guitar slides and drones. As it tempestuously slips between explosive choruses and volatile, fragile breakdowns, 'World Sick' becomes an interesting musical manifestation of the anger and apathy in the song's subject matter. This is through and through classic Broken Social Scene.
The next track 'Chase Scene' offers the first signs that there is something different afoot here, it is synth heavy and jazz-infused, a fresh break sounding unlike anything they've done before, even if it is somewhat clichéd melodically.
Over the course of the record there are plenty of moments that will keep the band's loyal following appeased. The classic guitar freakouts (Forced To Love, Meet Me In The Basement), the sentimental female-fronted moments (All To All, Sentimental X's) and the warped indie gems (Texico Bitches) are all abundantly present. Standout track 'Art House Director' offers one of the LP's catchiest peaks with its monumental horn section sitting neatly alongside Andrew Whiteman's compact vocal phrasings. Tracks such as this and 'Chase Scene' are unique variations on the classic Broken Social Scene formula and are what truly makes this record worthy of recognition.
It is the eclectism of FRR that truly sets it apart from the band's previous output. For all its brilliance, 2003's critically lauded 'You Forgot It In People' did have a tendency to slip into guitar jam ennui, whilst 2005's self-titled 'Broken Social Scene', with all its amiable sound collages and warped production, failed to fully excite over its lengthy running time due to its over-indulgent experimentalism. FRR manages to keep things focused and interesting for the full hour plus it will spend in your stereo.
What Broken Social Scene and John McEntire have ultimately done here is reign in the arrangements and line-up for an undeniably tight and formulated package. Whether this is a good thing and whether it is really what Broken Social Scene is about is debateable.
Preview track: 'Art House Director'
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