BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
Remember The Humans (City Slang)
Back before Facebook and Twitter, before the techbros took over, before social media toxified culture and politics, there was Friends Reunited. Its title echoing that of 2002 breakthrough You Forgot It In People, Remember The Humans sees these particular friends reunited with each other for the first time in nine years (and with producer David Newfeld for the first time since 2005) and is in many ways a hopeful, joyous protest album that insists – in the face of the relentless algorithmic and AI onslaught – on the fundamental truth that interpersonal connections matter.
Broken Social Scene were always fragmented in name only – an exemplary collaboration between Canadian indie-rock luminaries in which individual identities were preserved rather than subsumed – and nothing’s changed. Lead single and first track Not Around Anymore typically has a lot going on – a loping groove, horns, guitar patterns – while newest gang member Hannah Georgas contributes vocals to the excellent Only The Good I Keep and Lisa Lobsinger delivers a bona fide 80s-flavoured pop banger in Relief.
BSS albums invariably pale in comparison to their live performances, and this one does sag somewhat in the middle, but they save the best for last: the bold vintage-Arcade-Fire-do-Springsteen of Paying For Your Love and the widescreen sweep of the Feist-fronted What Happens Now.
words BEN WOOLHEAD
