14 illinoisentertainer . com november 2022
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BROKEN BELLS Into The Blue
( AWAL )
When Natalie Portman uttered the words “ You got to hear this one song , it will change your life ; I swear ” in the 2004 film Garden State while Sub Pop quietly released Oh Inverted World to a chorus of critical praise , the album ’ s simple and pretty indie rock had nothing in common with past Sub Pop successes like Nirvana and Mudhoney and failed to sell . After the release of Garden State , the album went gold , and the Shins went from playing clubs to large band shells at college campuses within a matter of months . After a string of successful releases , Mercer grew tired of the group . Brian Burton , aka Danger Mouse , was fresh off the mega-hit “ Crazy ” with his duo Gnarls Barkley and during the sessions of Sparklehorse ’ s final album Dark Night Of The Soul , Mercer and Burton struck up a friendship that would result in a new group Broken Bells . Combining the jangle pop of The Shins with the beat-heavy synth experiments that Burton is known for seemed like an odd juxtaposition , but it worked . 2010 ’ s self-titled Broken Bells LP was a fresh restart for Mercer . Into The Blue has a different feel from past Broken Bells albums . Where their previous releases made an instant impact , this album slowly reveals itself . At first , the molasses-slow rhythms lull the listener into a coma , yet with repeated listens , Mercer ’ s languid tenor and Danger Mouse ’ s classy , ornate productions end up becoming quite hypnotizing . “ The Chase ” is an absolutely gorgeous trip-hop tune that would stand toe to toe with anything on Portishead ’ s landmark Dummy album . When the rhythms speed up faster than a crawl , like on “ Saturdays ,” the result sounds like an alt-rock Hall & Oates . Into The Blue turns out to be a perfect soundtrack to autumn with its dusky rhythms and chilling soundscapes .
– Andy Derer
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PUP PUP Unravels Live in Front of Everyone They Know
( BMG ) PUP may have unraveled during the making of their new album , The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND , but live on stage , they ’ re a tight unit that specializes in controlled chaos . While the band ’ s latest EP , PUP Unravels Live in Front of Everyone They Know , doesn ’ t accurately capture the raw energy , fury , and power of the Toronto punks on stage , it ’ s the next best thing if you still haven ’ t seen them live . Recorded during two of their hometown shows , the EP is comprised of six songs , all taken from their latest album . Though longtime fans may be disappointed by the lack of favorites like “ DVP ” and “ Dark Days ,” the EP highlights some of the best tracks from the new album , such as “ Totally Fine ,” “ Robot Writes a Love Song ,” and “ Matilda .” Surprisingly , the EP falls flat in its sound quality . PUP is known for its raw , scrappy sound , but it shouldn ’ t apply to how the record is mixed . Songs are
muffled and don ’ t pack the same punch as they normally do . It sucks the fun out of the listening experience . It ’ s like you ’ re listening to the album with thick wads of cotton in your ears . At best , it sounds like a halfway decent video someone recorded on their phone and decided it was good enough to upload on YouTube . It ’ s such a disappointment because this record is supposed to be a big celebration . PUP is returning home to play some of the biggest shows of the tour after releasing the most ambitious album of their career . If they had taken their time with the release , maybe cleaned up the entire show , and released the entire concert instead of six songs , it would ’ ve been a great live album . Instead , we get a rushed EP that leaves you somewhat dissatisfied . Fortunately , the closing track , “ PUPTHEBANDINC IS FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY ,” is the highlight of the EP .
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