When I was younger I wanted a turtle. To my dismay my parents got me a Tamagotchi and promised me they would get me a turtle eventually. Similarly (vaguely), now that I am older, all I have wanted for years is a new Broken Social Scene album. But to my initial disappointment all I got was Kevin Drew's new album, Spirit If ... The Tamagotchi never really worked out, mostly because it did not have the potential to turn teenage, mutant and ninja like my fantasy turtle. Spirit,however, has exceeded my expectations, plus has not pooped all over itself and died like my ill-fated Tamagotchi.
BSS is a loosely defined collective of ever rotating musicians, mostly from Canada, who create beautiful indie pop music (to put it plainly). Members include Leslie Feist, Emily Haines of Metric, Amy Millan of Stars and members of Do Make Say Think. Although historically a tight-knit group, BSS has at times been volatile. In 2006, following a fall U.S. tour, they went on an indefinite hiatus as many of the members began focusing on solo work.
But they are unofficially back, led by Kevin Drew's album. Drew, along with Brandon Canning, is a core and founding member of BSS. Spirit represents the first in a line of scheduled releases entitled "Broken Social Scene Presents," which will highlight individual members' songwriting and playing styles. Although Spirit is technically a solo effort, meaning all songs are written by Drew, it is performed by BSS, who are currently on tour with Drew in support of the album.
Spirit, being Drew's first (and perhaps only) solo album, is hard to compare to anything. If I heard the album without knowing the title, I would definitely identify it with BSS. But the music itself actually sounds more similar to K.C. Accidental, Drew's pre-BSS band with Brandon Canning. The songwriting on Spirit, though, is distinctly Drew.
Perhaps the most stunning and telling track on the album is "Gang Bang Suicide." About the emotional side of a broken relationship told through physical symbolism, "Gang Bang Suicide" is a blatant follow up to BSS's "Shampoo Suicide," making it the most direct comparison of Drew's style to BSS's. While "Shampoo Suicide" slowly builds up only to break down into dissonance, "Gang Bang Suicide" stays steady and clear throughout. But deep down, the songs are similar in meaning, sound and ridiculous titles.
Despite the album's distinct Kevin-Drew aura, he makes sure not to leave out his friends (which is, actually, also typical of Drew). "Safety Bricks" sounds a lot like Feist's "Past In Present," which is not necessarily a bad thing, and may possibly be purposeful, considering the two are currently dating. "Backed Out On The..." features J. Mascis and basically sounds like a Dinosaur Jr. song, which is also not necessarily a bad thing.
Honestly though, as clichéd and (almost) stupid as it sounds, Spirit should not really be broken down by track. The album melds into a whole and complete piece of art, which is much of what makes BSS so great to listen to. There may not be another true collaborative BSS album in years, but if the rest of the "BSS Presents" series is vaguely similar to Spirit If..., I think we will all be able to get by.
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