Broken Bells
Into The Blue
AWAL
Broken Bells’ third album, Into The Blue, is one of those records that make it worth the wait required to finally hear them. Coming a good eight years after its immediate predecessor, it shows all the hallmarks of a long and considerate work in terms of composition, cultivation of sound, piecing together of a track list that feels like it’s telling a story, and production.
It is a very classic-sounding record, in which the Los Angeles-based duo deftly injects a number of callbacks, more or less obvious, to the great rock glories of the past into their own smooth indie-rock voice. Some of these suggestions jump out more vividly than others: it would be hard to listen to the instrumentals on “Love On The Run” without thinking of Gilmour-era Pink Floyd, while it takes a more cautious listen to catch echoes of mid-2000s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in the slightly dirtier, more echoey tracks like “Forgotten Boy”, which is in itself one of the most intriguing on the record.
A blend of mellow vocals, subtle distortions, atmospheric, tinkly guitars and carefully crafted instrumentals, Into The Blue goes a long way towards perfecting the sound Broken Bells have been crafting for themselves, infusing indie almost-ballad structures with hints of country and psychedelia. Yet there is something holding it back still, a more daring step yet to be taken, that leaves a slight frustration with what is otherwise a moody, immersive record with a delicate but well-defined voice.
Artist Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BROKEN BELLS – INTO THE BLUE
Chiara Strazzulla