Broken Bells
Broken Bells
Play Broken Bells
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MOG Editorial Review
On one of the more unexpected collaborations to come in a while, James Mercer’s bittersweet songwriting meets the production of Brian Burton, better known as super-producer Danger Mouse, on the duo’s debut. While The Shins’ frontman is a world away from the hip-hop that was Danger Mouse's original claim to fame, Mercer's falsetto is masterfully applied to Burton's meticulous and lush arrangements, as on “Sailing to Nowhere,” which points them in a reflective and mellow mentality. They go in the other direction on “The Ghost Inside,” which, like many of the tracks, uses string instruments, while catchy handclaps keep it moving forward. However, at times it’s that kind of willingness to experiment on a debut that reminds us this is only their first together, and the fact that their debut contains only slight missteps has us interested in seeing how much better they'll be after they begin to meld as one talented force.
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AMG Review of Broken Bells
Heather Phares
All Music GuideJames Mercer and Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) want Broken Bells to be seen, and heard, as an honest-to-goodness band, not a side-project dalliance. It's a little tricky to do that when first listening to their self-titled debut album, since they're such distinctive talents. Mercer's vocals and melodies will almost certainly evoke the Shins to some degree or another, but he and Burton steer clear of bright pop in favor of winding melodies and mellow atmospheres. “The High Road” melds slick electronic percussion and a searching, minor-key melody that echoes the duo’s previous work without rehashing it. Toward the end, Broken Bells break out of their reflective mood with “The Mall & the Misery,” which closes the album with crisp chamber pop.
 "Broken Bells")
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- Release Date 2010
- Label COLUMBIA
- Genre Alternative/Indie
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