For those of you not in the loop, Broken Bells is one of those surprising dream collaborations you could neither hope for nor expect.
James Mercer of The Shins and Danger Mouse, legendary producer of The Grey Album, Gnarls Barkley etc, have teamed up to put the rest of us mere mortals in our place, effortlessly making most other musicians appear amateurish and their musical offering dung.
They are both undoubtedly masters of their respective fields, and together they bring us something divine.
The High Rd, all hip hop beats and bleeps with choral elements setting the backdrop to Mercer’s ideal vocal lines and lyrics, is everything you’d expect from these two, and every bit as good as you’d guess.
Album released 9th March 2010. Be there or be a square bell end
I started out writing for the Manchester Evening News as a freelance journalist back in 2008. The idea that I would be given free access to music and gigs seemed somehow miraculous to me, and I proceeded to take full advantage of the situation. When the M.E.N. decided to constrict its coverage to only the very biggest bands, Simon Poole approached me with a plan to make sure that all the very talented musicians of this world that pass through and/or live in Manchester would not go unnoticed. As the New Releases editor here at Silent Radio Towers, it remains my proud duty to cast a critical eye over the music and reviews that come my way in a manner that is both supportive and fair. Above all, I strive to write as entertainingly possible. Favourite musicians include the Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Mercury Rev, Os Mutantes, The Knife, Beach House etc etc. I'm a firm believer that all genres (except nu-metal) contain music of great quality...
