Broken Social Scene have always specialised in a kind of mix’n’match of Indie Rock. They don’t lose any sleep trying to stick to any one genre. Synth-pop, post-rock, punk or art-folk all go into the melting pot. This eclecticism could be construed as dynamic but it is also confusing.
'Old Dead Young' is a typically diverse collection which comprises fourteen tracks taken from 20 years of 7-inches, outtakes, compilations, soundtracks, and hard-to-find releases. It documents the evolution of the Toronto collective who started out as a two-person basement project and expanded to include performers drawn from various musical backgrounds.
The publicity for the release notes that during these two decades the band have pursued “improvisational freedom over commercial considerations”, a convenient spin to explain why their albums haven’t sold more.
The songs cover the period from 2001 to 2016 and although it ends with the title track from 2016 , the sequencing is not chronological.
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The penultimate tune (the un-charmingly named and world-weary Death Cock) takes the listener back to their very first recording with producer Dave Newfeld from 2001. Rather than end on a downer, the more uplifting Old Dead Young, and title track, is the closing song.
To give a flavour of the diversity on offer, we have the dance punk of Do the 95 , a post-rock cover of an Apostle Of Hustle song, National Anthem of Nowhere, and a hint of epic stadium rock in the shape of Canada vs America
It’s perfect for listeners with ADHD but the absence of focus or consistency is likely to be less engaging for the average punter.
Broken Social Scene’s website
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