In 2006, Bishop Allen announced its plan to self-release a new EP every month for a year. Sure, this was a gimmick, but it worked. Besides gaining the notice of MP3 blogs and Pitchfork, BA was finally signed to Dead Oceans, Secretly Candadian/Jagjaguwar's new sister label. And the band's latest album, The Broken String, shows why they could get away with such a shameless plea for attention. A mix of rerecorded songs from the EPs and new tracks, it plays like a singles collection -- and several of those singles are real gems.
But first, let's talk about Broken String's major weakness: Much of the album is derivative of such indie-mainstream crossover successes as Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie, The Decemberists, The Shins and Sufjan Stevens. "Sensitive guy" vocals? Check. Horns and violins? Check. Quirky, twee lyrics? Check. If you were part of the "indie-yuppie" backlash of 2005, you're not going to like "The Monitor," "Flight 180" and "The News From Your Bed."
However, that said, solid songcraft and smart lyrics will always win out. While things are a bit unoriginal (but still pleasant, although "Flight 180's" lyrics are somewhat precious), the album's standout tracks are stunning. "Rain" and "Click, Click, Click, Click" are infectious pieces of bouncy guitar pop that threaten to lodge themselves in your brain, while "Corazon" is a moving anthem about a discarded piano (with a funky Spoon-like bass line). The rest of the album is no slouch either -- check out the cantina sing-along "Like Castanets," the tender adolescent ballad "Butterfly Nets" and the pop-punk cubicle-gopher lament "Middle Management."
Broken String ain't gonna shake the indie world to its foundations, but it does have real sounds of promise. Plus, if you're jonesing the next Zach Braff soundtrack, this should help scratch your itch.
