Their amiable way of writing anthems has always had the potential to reach even those sitting in the far back of a theater, and open-hearted single Skyline is certainly one of their grandest to date: the lightsome mood it carries is enough to justify the song’s lack of structure, though once it shifts gears into a pompous sing-a-long, regal horns and all, all is forgiven. It’s better to think of them as a drama troupe with likened musical commonalities than a careerist band, one that finds the time to get together ever so often with a unionized message that will appease their niche audience. As it is with larger-than-life supergroups, there’s an absence of personality that works to their advantage. And why would they - if anything, it was a good reason for a group of friends to come together in ceremonious harmony.
Still, it never felt like Broken Social Scene were breaking up. The seven-year hiatus between now and 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record seemed inevitable, but also necessary: it was a chance for them to put the project on pause before they overstayed their welcome, to allow themselves to evolve with their own individual endeavors. The Canadian collective has persevered for close to twenty years regardless of the impermanent nature of cyclical rock trends, which has caused each of them to reinvent themselves without much foresight. But the name has really taken a life of its own. Not that there’s any formality to how the name Broken Social Scene came to be, as it kind of came up jokingly during a discussion key members Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew had over Drew’s elaborate use of keyboards (he jokingly named one of his pre-BSS projects John Tesh Jr. And if you’ve ever fallen in love with Broken Social Scene – as many of us have – it is a perfect return that was truly worth the wait.Broken Social Scene Hug of Thunder (Arts & Crafts )īand names are sometimes taken for granted. Hug Of Thunder is righteous but warm, angry but loving, melodic but uncompromising.
The record’s twelve songs refract the band’s varying emotions, methods, and techniques in ways that not only reference their other albums, but surpass them. Since their inception in the early Aughts, BSS have always pushed sonic boundaries while remaining reverent of a perfect chorus almost twenty years down the line, Hug Of Thunder sharpens that balance. It is a panoramic, expansive album that manages to be both epic and intimate and like all things BSS, in troubled times, it offers a serotonin rush of positivity. Produced by Joe Chiccarelli and mixed by Shawn Everett, Hug Of Thunder is everything BSS fans love from the Canadian collective and then some, an album overflowing with glorious open chords, multi-voice harmonies, spacious psychedelia-tinted breakdowns, and more. Skyline waits for the world / Skyline waits for the fall / But you shouldn’t have come all / And I know / You’re never gonna be that way / You shouldn't have come at all Featuring backing vocals from Stars' Amy Millan, "Skyline" is an energetic, acoustic-driven track with lead singer Kevin Drew emphatically and joyfully repeating the hypnotic mantra:
Toronto’s Broken Social Scene have shared “Skyline,” the new single from their upcoming album Hug of Thunder, out on Arts & Crafts on July 7th, 2017. Formats: Triple A, College, AAA, Non-Commercial, NPR
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