Broken Social Scene - YouForgot it in People

Thu 20th Jan, 2005 in Music Reviews

It doesn’t happen too often, but every now and then, one comes across an album that is almost impossible to describe. When listening to Toronto outfit Broken Social Scene ’s sophomore offering, You Forgot it in People, that’s how stumped this reviewer was.

While the band’s 2001 debut, Feel Good Lost was recorded by core members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, and established their guitar/synth sound, You Forgot it in People juggles countless styles, moods and ideas, many of which are completely new for band.

The main reason behind this album’s expansive nature is revealed by a quick glance at the liner notes. In addition to Canning and Drew, nine other musicians lend their talents to this record, reflecting the band’s ever-changing live lineup. Recruited from various other bands, including trombonist Evan Cranley of labelmates Stars, the contributors all brought their own influences to make this record so interesting.

Instrumental opener Capture the Flag is more reflective of Feel Good Lost, with drawn-out ambient sounds setting the scene perfectly, but only for the next track, KC Accidental to take it up a notch, with a dramatic tug-of-war between the band’s two extremes – the pounding drums and cutting guitar sounds winning over the Broken Social Scene of old. We’re only two tracks in, and already we have what sounds like a fight between Sigur Ros and Mogwai.

The most interesting thing about this album is that most of the tracks sound like drawn-out sonic fights between two or more entities, with most tracks clocking in around the five-minute mark. The remixed version of Almost Crimes is indie rock trying to fight off a brass invasion, while Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries is a simple beat, slowly consumed by a bass groove and heavily effects-laden guitars that could easily have been stolen from a Mercury Rev recording.

While it may not be as consistent as their debut, You Forgot it in People will no doubt win the band many new fans. The experimental sounds the band will become known for are balanced out by slightly edgy indie rock, in which the vocals on the album get a rare few moments in the spotlight. While in KC Accidental and Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl vocals are used more as another source of sound than anything else, the Flaming Lips-esque Stars and Sons and Cause=Time have lyrics that might actually mean something.

As the album draws towards its conclusion, the pace of the album drops, and fades out, rather than going out in a blaze of glory, which the band could easily have done. The Flaming Lips comparisons seem more appropriate when listening to Lover’s Spit, another one of the album’s more accessible moments. Like so many good albums, the closing moments here tease with the occasional hint of earlier tracks. I’m Still Your Fag is almost a scaled-down reprise of Lover’s Spit, while the strings on album closer Pitter Patter Goes My Heart are eerie echoes of Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl.

The best and worst thing about You Forgot it in People is its inability to make its mind up. While it lays out a myriad of interesting ideas, and takes its time developing and exploring these sounds, as well as achieving the near-impossible task of arranging the tracks appropriately, it is essentially a demanding album which takes a degree of patience to appreciate.