Description:
As Brooklyn indie-rock acts go, Bishop Allen's core members-–Justin Rice and Christian Rudder–-offer little bombast and less pretension. After their well-received debut, 2003's Charm School, the pair embarked on a year-long "EP project," self-releasing a four-song disc for each month of 2006. As a follow-up, The Broken String proves that the prolific project yielded nothing if not a masterful honing of the band's already established elements: plaintive vocals, tastefully spare arrangements, and an unerring knack for employing the right guest musician at the right time, including horns, strings, a Hammond organ, and
As Brooklyn indie-rock acts go, Bishop Allen's core members-–Justin Rice and Christian Rudder–-offer little bombast and less pretension. After their well-received debut, 2003's Charm School, the pair embarked on a year-long "EP project," self-releasing a four-song disc for each month of 2006. As a follow-up, The Broken String proves that the prolific project yielded nothing if not a masterful honing of the band's already established elements: plaintive vocals, tastefully spare arrangements, and an unerring knack for employing the right guest musician at the right time, including horns, strings, a Hammond organ, and lovely backing vocals by Darbie Nowatka (who also sings lead on "Butterfly Nets" and designed the beautiful CD package). Most importantly, Rudder and Rice spin daringly capricious yarns. Suckers for a good pedestrian detail, these songs dabble in maritime history ("The Monitor"), Chilean Catholicism ("Like Castanets"), and the grind of office life ("Middle Management") with facile familiarity and unassuming humor. For fans on the hunt for a less lovelorn Magnetic Fields, or a calmer, gentler version of the Decemberists (sans the grating whine and the pocket thesaurus), Bishop Allen just might be the answer. Either way, The Broken String sounds timeless. --Jason Kirk
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Manufacturer: Dead Oceans
Release date: 24 July 2007
EAN: 0656605130323 UPC: 656605130323
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