Forgiveness Rock Record
Without the intention of getting into a philosophical debate about the value/purpose of art and the place of criticism within the field of creative expression, I’d like to put forth a warning: this review is silly. It’s silly because a) art is subjective; you aren’t going to glean any pearls of wisdom here, from me, and b) I am a shameless and biased lover of the music that comes from camp Broken Social Scene. Having said this, I would still like to share thoughts on Forgiveness Rock Record because it’s fun and this album deserves it. So let’s chat a bit and take ourselves a little less seriously.
Because I enjoy listening to music, and this album, while cooking (well, really while doing most things), I’ve matched each song from Forgiveness Rock Record with a particular flavour of muffin – mostly because muffins are delicious but also because they are diverse enough to suit the many textures of the new album perfectly.
For you foodies out there, I’d love to explore the intersection of food and music and collective, creative experience another time. Stay tuned!
Okay, so let’s fire up the oven:
1. “World Sick” – Very Berry Cinnamon
Opening guitar lines brood and tingle with flavour until that spicy riff kicks in (you know the one) and berries burst amongst cinnamon crescendos. Ends with satisfying crumbs and a lingering tanginess.
2. “Chase Scene” - Lemon Cranberry Zest
Rhythmic synths, citrus twang and urgent vocal interplay between Kevin Drew, Feist, and Amy Millan make this track very worthy of its name; tart lemon and cranberry chase each other across the taste buds to an intense finish announced in a flourish of horns.
3. “Texico Bitches” – Banana Chocolate Chip
Classic and poppy. The jogging guitar beats are consistently delicious, and the chocolate chip “whaaaooos” add a flavourful punch to a snack that is over all too soon.
4. “Forced to Love” – Zucchini Chocolate
This treat dares you to turn your nose up at its different (for BSS) formulation, but it’s packed with intense chocolate energy and the subtle smoothness of zucchini that grows on you with time.
5. “All to All” – Vanilla Caramel
Almost too sweet to handle, the fluttering synths and the caramel smoothness of Lisa Lobsinger’s vocals are a definite highlight of this album.
6. “Art House Director” – Cornmeal Cheddar
A refreshingly savoury morsel that would easily fit into any Apostle of Hustle album with its sharp little jubilant horns and the driving force of A. Whiteman’s voice and superb guitar playing.
7. “Highway Slipper Jam” – Double Chocolate Chunk
Reminiscent of the delightfully lazy tones of “I’m Still Your Fag” from the band’s 2001 release You Forgot it in People, this treat is smooth with bittersweet bites.
8. “Ungrateful Little Father” – Apricot Orange
Sharp citrus pinches are intermittently softened by bouncy keys, while gritty lyrics speak to a tart rind or two caught in the mix.
9. “Meet Me in the Basement” – Blueberry
To die for. The sweet fleshiness of ripe blueberries and the energy of those blue antioxidants pack a punch as you can’t help but dance your ass off in celebration of how good this tastes.
10. “Sentimental X’s” – Dark Chocolate Ginger
A triple attack of chocolate and ginger and, what’s that? can you taste those walnuts? This brooding track’s three secret ingredients build on each other, the vocal interplay between Haines, Millan, and Feist climbing to shimmering heights of mouth-watering harmony.
11. “Sweetest Kill” – Sweet Potato Date
No sugar added: dates sneak up and steal the show. A rolling and fleshy piece whose melancholy, lingering sweetness will necessitate that you try at least one more.
12. “Romance to the Grave” – Carrot and Cream Cheese
The surprising fullness of carrots coated in the richness of cream cheese icing weaves through the faster pace of Kevin Drew’s lyrics, finishing with a satisfying swell of poly-vocal goodness. Is there anything better?
13. “Water in Hell” – Chocolate Chip
Another consistent, if slightly predictable flavour – you can’t really go too wrong when combining vanilla avec chocolate.
14. “Me and My Hand” - Raisin Bran
Okay, so this is sometimes the let-down in the muffin box/tin. But if you add the natural sweetness of dried fruit and stop to think about the goodness of bran this one can be appreciated, given some time, right?
All right, [questionable] food metaphors aside, I strongly suggest that you go and taste this record for yourself, if you haven’t already.
For more Broken Social Scene,
Website: www.brokensocialscene.ca
Myspace: www.myspace.com/brokensocialscene
