Bishop Allen
The Broken String
2007 | Dead Oceans
There
are lots of reasons I like Bishop Allen, including mainly their
persistence in recording. Taking on the huge feat of release an EP per
month last year is pretty amazing, especially when their consistency is
set high above the bar. Oh, and they released them all for only $5
each. With all the chaos and lacking of inspiration that they had after
producing their follow up to 2003's Charm School, Bishop Allen came out
of the fog strong with The Broken String.
Stripped of any
pretentiousness, the band delivers enthusiastic songs that balance
harmony, dreamy pop and soft folky tunes. The re-workings of the older
songs polish them off to more clearly defined tracks. "The Chinatown
Bus" and "The News from Your Bed" both acquire this more developed
sound with vocal and instrument additions. The only track that I prefer
untouched was "Corazon". The original I feel had a bit more energy,
however the new track on its own still stands up- only in a more
over-the-top way.
The light-hearted sensibility on here is
actually what holds the songs together, molding each one into something
different but echoing the sentimentalities of the whole. I would argue
against some opinions that the songwriting here is sometimes too
flippant; it fits the music. People do not have to take themselves
seriously all the time. I'd recommend "Like Castanets," "Butterfly
Nets" and "The News from Your Bed."
-Elana Rintala
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