BIO // BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE // FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD BIO // BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE // FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD Album: Forgiveness Rock Record Album:Catalogue Forgiveness #: A&C054 Rock Record CatalogueFormat: DD #: /A&C054 CD / Boxed Set Format:Boxed SetDD Release/ CD / Boxed Date: Set May 4, 2010 BoxedCD/Digital Set Release Release Date: Date: May May 4, 4, 2010 2010 CD/Digital Release Date: May 4, 2010 SoSo yeah,yeah, it’sit’s beenbeen five five years years since since the the last lastBroken Broken Social Social SceneScene album,album, butbut itit also also hasn’t. hasn’t. In Inthe the time time that’s that’s elapsed elapsed sincesince thethe release ofof 2005’s 2005’s self self-titled-titled opus, opus, we wewere were more more thanthan tidedtided overover by by the the 2007 2007 release release of founding of founding member member KevinKevin Drew’sDrew’s solo album,album, SpiritSpirit If…, If…, followed followed a fewa few mon monthsths laterlater byby co co-founder-founder Brendan Brendan Canning’s Canning’s own solo own set, solo set, SomethingSomething for for All All of of Us Us — — both both of of which which were were released released under under the “Broken Social Scene Presents” banner, both of which were supported by tours that featured career- spanning setlists, and both of which featured the “Broken Social Scene Presents” banner, both of which were supported by tours that featured career- pretty much the same group of players you hear on this new BSS release, Forgiveness Rock Record. spanning setlists, and both of which featured pretty much the same group of players you hear on this new In hindsight, Broken Social Scene’s period of supposed inactivity was arguably their most productive BSS release, Forgiveness Rock Record. In hindsight, Broken Social Scene’s period of supposed inactivity stretch yet — yet another contradiction that makes up the byzantine BSS myth. was arguably their most productive stretch yet — yet another contradiction that makes up the byzantine BSS myth. So even now — some 10 years after Drew and Canning first started laying down ambient Soinstrumentals even now — in somea Toronto 10 years basement after Drew for their and debut Canning BSS first release started Feel laying Good down Lost ambient — that eternalinstrumentals in aquestion Toronto stillbasement lingers: for what their exactly debut makesBSS release a Broken Feel Social Good Scene Lost — album that eternala Broken question Social Scenestill lingers: what exactlyalbum? makes a Broken Social Scene album a Broken Social Scene album? ForFor some,some, it’s thatthat omnipresentomnipresent element element of of randomness randomness and and chaos chaos — which— which is a isfine a theoryfine theory and all, and all, exceptexcept Forgiveness Forgiveness Rock Rock RecordRecord waswas approachedapproached onon arguablyarguably thethe mostmost stablestable footingfooting thethe band has ever had,ever built had, as built it was as it around was around the core the 2007-08core 2007 touring-08 touring line-up line of- upDrew, of Drew, Canning, Canning, drummer drummer Justin Justin Peroff and guitaristsPeroff and Andrew guitarists Whiteman, Andrew Whiteman,Charles Spearin Charles and Spearin Sam andGoldberg. Sam Goldberg. For others, For Broken others, SocialBroken Scene is definedSocial Sceneby trippy, is defined triple-guitar by trippy, jams triple that- guitarslowly jams erupt that into slowly moments erupt of into brass-blasted moments of rapturebrass-blasted — but while thatrapture observation — but while may that be observationsupported by may Forgiveness be supported Rock by ForgivenessRecord’s epic Rock opener Record “World’s epic Sick,” opener it doesn’t explain“World theSick,” manic, it doesn’t string-stabbed explain the berserker manic, string pop- stabbedof “Chase berserker Scene,” pop or ofthe “Chase breezy, Scene,” space-age-bachelor- or the padbreezy, swing space of “Art-age House-bachelor Director.”- pad swing And then of “Art there House are Director.”those who And say then the thereBroken are Social those Scenewho say sound the is theBroken result Social of producer Scene soundDave Newfeld’sis the result psychedelic of producer studio Dave magic; Newfeld’s however, psychedelic for Forgiveness studio magic; Rock Record, thehowever, band decamped for Forgiveness to Soma Rock Studios Record in, theChicago band decampedand Giant toStudio Soma in Studios Toronto in to Chicago work with and one Gia ntof their heroes,Studio inTortoise/Sea Toronto to work and withCake one drummer of their heroes,John McEntire, Tortoise/Sea who punchedand Cake holes drummer in the John textural McEntire, haze and coaxedwho punched the band holes into in deliveringthe textural their haze most and assertive,coaxed the forthright band into performances delivering their to most date. assertive, For a band that onceforthright sang performances “it’s all gonna to break”date. For like a bandit was that a self-fulfillingonce sang “it’s prophecy, all gonna Broken break” Sociallike it was Scene a self has- never soundedfulfilling prophecy,more together. Broken Social Scene has never sounded more together. ForgivenessForgiveness RockRock Record thusthus marksmarks a a clean clean break break from from the the narrative narrative that that began began with with 2001’s 2001’s modest modest FeelFeel Good Good Lost Lost, ,accelerated accelerated rapidly rapidly withwith thethe internationalinternational breakthroughbreakthrough ofof 2002’s You Forgot It In People andPeople then and was then nearly was derailed nearly derailedwith 2005’s with tumultuous 2005’s tumultuous self-titled self release,-titled release,recorded recorded at a time at when a time the band waswhen flush the withband sudden was flush success, with sudden but struggling success, to but find struggling the right totour-life/home-life find the right tour balance.-life/home As-life the title not- too-subtlybalance. Asindicates, the title Forgivenessnot- too-subtly Rock indicates, Record Forgiveness is about making Rock amends Record foris about past mistakes,making amends and songs for like “Worldpast mistakes, Sick” (set and amid songs “a minefieldlike “World of Sick”wounded (set amidaffection”) “a minefield and the of urgentwounded rocker affection”) “Forced and to theLove” carry tracesurgent of rocker the self-titled “Forced toalbum’s Love” interpersonalcarry traces of anxieties. the self-ti Buttled primarily,album’s interpersonal the mood is anxieties.one of acceptance But and movingprimarily, on the — moodand, byis oneextension, of acceptance of coming and tomoving terms on with — and,the differencesby extension, between of coming the to Broken terms withSocial Scenesthe differences of 2002 betweenand 2010. the That Broken resident Social sirens Scenes Emily of 2002Haines, and Feist 2010. and That Amy resident Millan sirens share Emily the billing on “SentimentalHaines, Feist X’s” and speaks Amy Millan to their share more the limited billing oninvolvement “Sentimental in Broken X’s” speaks Social to Scene their more as they limited tend to their owninvolvement bands and in Brokencareers, Social and the Scene repeated as they lyrics tend about to their “a ownfriend bands you usedand careers, to call” underscoresand the repeated the sense oflyrics relationships about “a frienddrifting you apart. used Yet to the call” song’s underscores accelerated the sensetempo ofreflects relationships the beauty drifting and apart.the thrill Yet in themoving song’s accelerated tempo reflects the beauty and the thrill in moving forward on separate paths, ARTS & CRAFTS BIOGRAPHY • BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE • FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD• MARCH 2010 ARTS & CRAFTS BIOGRAPHY • BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE • FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD• MARCH 2010 BIO // JASON COLLET // RAT A TAT TAT of accidental inspiration, those strange, noisy intrusions coming from deep in the left channel. And, of course, you gotta have groove. In that spirit, Rat a Tat Tat is Jason Collett’s most playful, robust and revelatory album to date — once you get locked into the pocket of the sly T. Rex strut of “Lake Superior,” the stuttering funk of “Love Is a Dirty Word” or new-waved soul of “Love Is a Chain,” you realize how many interstate miles removed we are from the Motor Motel Love Songs that first introduced Collett to the world at large back in 2003. BIO // BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE // FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD But what’s most remarkable about Rat a Tat Tat is how willing Collett is to bend and reshape his familiar voice to suit the songcoupled — withwhether the reassurance laying that on “off anda thickon is what Dylan we want.” twang Conversely, on the s howcasesublimely of singer Lisa Lobsinger on perhaps the album’s most thematically resonant track, “All to All,” is a testament to gorgeous “Cold Blue Halo” (digthe thosevaluable heavenlyrole she’s played harmonies as the band’s in regular the homeon-tour vocaliststretch), since going2005, and down the role low she’ll to revel in the Lou Reed grittinesscontinue ofto play“Bitch in forging City” the band’sor hamming future. it up on the cheeky Kinks-gone- country travelogue “Vanderpool Vanderpool.” Taken as a whole, you get the overwhelming But as Drew is careful to note at pretty much every concert Broken Social Scene plays, this is not sense of an artist who, despiteabout having them; “we spent do this for20 you.”-odd Forgiveness years inRock the Record rock doesn’t ‘n’ rolllinger trenches, on the idea of isredemption still as discovering new things about ahimself way to talk and about histheir music,pasts,