“Thunder” showcases the spontaneity and communal spirit that have carried BSS from the start: every piece of the song, from Feist's discursive lyrics to the circuitous rhythm and flickers of U2-like guitar, all seem to contour around each other, moving as one without falling into lockstep. “Thunder” skips the blood-rush crescendos of “Halfway” entirely, opting for a loose, worn-in skitter more in line with the You Forgot It in People highlight “Stars and Sons.” Feist-takes a cool, almost conversational turn at lead vocal-ruminating on the “oxymoron of our lives,” considering the ways the past stakes out territory in the present. After a few days spent reshuffling her lyrics, the song’s form took shape. With Drew otherwise indisposed, a restless Brendan Canning stumbled into a bassline, guitarist Andrew Whiteman found a rhythm, and Feist, notebook in hand, grabbed a mic.

If that’s the case, just say the word, Kevin we’ll get right to work.According to Leslie Feist, “Thunder” came together in a quiet moment, while Kevin Drew caught some z’s on a studio couch. Unfortunately, their upcoming tour isn’t scheduled to reach British shores – perhaps we don’t have a stage big enough to fit them all on this tiny island of ours.

In particular, the title track is every bit as warm an embrace its name promises, while Please Take Me With You towards its climax is a lovely steadying hand on a sometimes frenzied collection of tunes.Īll in all, Hug of Thunder shows BSS at their best facing down disunity and division with unapologetic optimism. There are plenty of bouncy numbers ( Halfway Home, Protest Song, Skyline) to keep energy levels up, but as is so often the case with BSS, it’s on the more serene, understated songs that they really shine. Hug of Thunder (City Slang) The sprawling Canadian indie-rock collective that comprises Broken Social Scene appeared to have suffered its own breakdown in 2011 when an indefinite hiatus was announced. However, these overt statements of disillusionment with modern society are few and far between on an album that’s more concerned with knitting optimism into every song than convincing unbelievers of its worldview. On the latter two songs in particular, however, things are spelled out for those who might have missed the memo: “Future’s not what it used to be / We still got to go there” and “Words of hope are a joke for the numb / The poet’s a liar and we all want some.” Their music is anthemic without being bloated, catchy without being repetitive and insightful without the preachiness.įor the most part, the band seem to let their track names do the heavy lifting with regards to their politics titles such as Protest Song, Gonna Get Better and Mouth Guards of the Apocalypse leave little to the imagination. Once again, that knack to encourage positivity and togetherness in the face of perhaps the most divided world in the last 50 years shines through on Hug of Thunder, the title of which lynchpin Kevin Drew explains as the band’s ethos: “an embrace amongst the chaos”.įor that’s what BSS do best – combine hearty cheer and an undercurrent of optimism with zippy rhythms and inclusive choruses ideal for belting out at 3am in a dingy flat surrounded by the friendliest of strangers, or the strangest of friends. Normally, protest songs are either angry and bitter, or morose and defeatist BSS are neither.

The Canadians represent that very rare thing in music – a politically charged band who manage to maintain a sunny disposition. For this, their fifth studio effort and their first in seven years, they’ve assembled 18 original and new contributing artists to produce probably the most quintessential BSS record to date. Featuring all 15 original members (including a standout performance by Feist on the title track), Hug of Thunder is, well, just that: rumbling, uplifting and. Stream Broken Social Scene's New Album, 'Hug Of Thunder' The Toronto-based collective returns after seven years with a collection of ethereal anthems. ( Arts & Crafts, released Fri Jul 7 2017)Įver noticed how relentlessly impressive the Toronto music scene is? Well, you’ve got Broken Social Scene to thank for that – almost all of their members play in other bands at the forefront of the movement.

Broken social scene hug of thunder