Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People

The 10-member Canadian, pop squad known as Broken Social Scene has materialized out of thin air it seems. Though, I guess, just like any other group you have to start somewhere. Yet, it's unusual that a band appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and brings such a fantastic album along with them as well. You Forgot It In People, first and foremost, "is a pop record." Just wanted to get that out there, 'cause they wrote it on the CD packaging. Secondly, aside from the 10 regular members in the band, the album features five more performers. Add those two things together and it equals what you might expect: the album comes off sounding like pop orchestra of sorts, flowing through each member's respective idiosyncrasies. The records starts out with ambient "Capture The Flag," a track that gives the impression of an orchestra tuning up and preparing for the non-stop performance that awaits them. Then, as the first few notes of "KC Accidental" ring out, the band launches into business, gradually building up to a sonic landscape of swelling tones. "Stars and Sons," based around one of the best bass lines in the past few years, shows the band can construct a song that would make The Flaming Lips green with envy. After that, it's back to the rock, as "Almost Crimes" chimes in, highlighted by its vocal refrains from Susannah Brady. From there on out it goes from lounge vibe of "Looks Just Like The Sun", the progressive "Cause = Time," the self-explanatory instrumentals "Pacific Theme" and "Late Nineties Bedroom Rock For The Missionaries", the Fridge-esk "Shampoo Suicide", the drunken ballad "Lover's Spit", and then full-circle back to the minimal closer "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart." When it comes to pop music, this band can do it all. The highlight of the record comes through with "Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl," with its slight country ramble and Emily Haines' vocal mantras ("Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me"). The track alone showcases the essence of You Forgot It In People: the ability to attempt a song with 10 things going on at one time, and it all work properly. Indeed this is a multifaceted, eccentric album that needs to be heard to understand properly, and I urge all of you to do just that. [www.arts-crafts.ca]