Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning – Something For All Of Us…

Something For All Of Us… is the second instalment of the Broken Social Scene Presents series and follows on from the co-founding member Kevin Drew’s Spirit If album. The other Co-founder is non-other than Brendan Canning so I guess it’s his turn now to take the lime light. The Broken Social Scene Presents: Whoever features pretty much the full ramshackle group of artists yet let the named person to take the lead on the song writing. So on Something For All Of Us… Brendan Canning brings the tunes. The details are a little hazy as to who exactly features on this instalment as its only just leaked with limited information and my ears aren’t good enough to pick out all the individuals like a Broken Social Scene fan boy might be able to.

Something For All Of Us… can easily be identified as a Broken Social Scene project all the elements are in place, the off kilter bring all you like indie pop noise that they do so well. This time I can hear a lot more of a grungy guitar influence too, which has cropped up before on the albums You Forget In People and the self titled follow up Broken Social Scene, yet here it is a much bigger part of the sound. I much prefer this to the lounge jazz sections that are found on You Forget In People. Overall Something For All Of Us… is a very cohesive record, which is a hell of an achievement for such a massive ramshackle group of people to make. This is maybe because Brendan Canning takes the lead to great effect. I can’t say how it compares to Kevin Drew’s Spirit If, as I haven’t heard it.

Brendan’s voice is soft yet firm like a tender tough/geeky man in a beard, which I presume he has, the music of Broken Social Scene is a bit like a sonic beard of indie. The fuzzy and beautifully distorted guitars fill the album in layers intertwined with acoustic strums and twinkles. Horns float in and out with coos from what sound like pretty indie girls, well in my head anyway. Dreamy pop moments swell around the listener then dreamy rock fill your ears too. There are even so moments of Brendan Canning taking Broken Social Scene on a bit of a sexy funk fuelled soul number, in a indie super group kind of way anyway. I’m not a fan of that moment really I prefer the fuzzed out dream pop and rock to be honest.

My top tunes are the opener and title track Something For All Of Us, Hit The Wall, which is a bit of a power pop fuzz fest and the first single too. Snowballs and Icicles is a sweet and dreamy one that captures your heart. Churches Under The Stairs for some reason reminds me of a slightly new wave sound, the reverberating guitar is a little like a Gary Numan Synth, a great tune. Love Is New, is the sexy funk beard dub love tune, I wouldn’t say it’s a stand out but it makes me giggle a bit. All The Best Wooden Toys Come From Germany is as at title suggest a bit of an adorable and playful toy town number, with hints of a Kraftwerk train journey in the percussion and warm horns, a nice instrumental. Possible Grenades is a broody one that brings a bit of tension to the album, in a almost grungy Neil Young kind of way. Take Care, Look Up bring the album to a close in mellow style, with breathy boy/girl double tracked vocals and dreamy soundtrack it makes you want to hug them all and curl up in the warmth of the sound of a log fire on a beach. Something For All Of Us… doesn’t have a duff track on it even if I’m not keen on the sexy little number that sounds like and indie rock prince with a beard.

Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning – Something For All Of Us… fits perfectly into the back catalogue of the indie super group with ease. It’s nothing unexpected just brilliant songs in the style they do best, what more could you want? More live shows probably…

Get ready Broken Social Scene fan boys & girls this is a treat and it’s out there.