Moving from the instrumental sound of their first record, Broken Social Scene also made a drastic change to their lineup and went from a small two man band to a 10 person (not including guests) lineup. Featuring some new people and more famous and well known members such as Emily Haines (Metric), Charles Spearin (Do Make Say Think), Evan Cranley (Stars) and Leslie Feist (Feist),
You Forgot It In People takes a few steps away from
Feel Good Lost and shows a diversity on one record that most bands couldn't accomplish in their entire career.
Broken Social Scene
Andrew Whiteman
James Shaw
Brendan Canning
Charles Spearin
Evan Cranley
Kevin Drew
Emily Haines
Justin Peroff
John Crossingham
Leslie Feist
More than anything else,
You Forgot It In People is a diverse record. Unlike
Feel Good Lost, this is a guitar fueled album, albeit one with strings, brass and electronic experiments all over the place. There is a lot going on in each song, which is to be expected from a band with 10 members who all take an active role. The influence of most members' original bands seeps through, creating a well rounded and original sound. The sheer amount of instruments throughout the album is also to be commended, the aforementioned strings, brass, drum loops and electronics make welcome appeareances, along with the standard, guitars, drums, basses, vocals (there are at least 4 vocalists) and some less standard instruments such as banjos, saxophones and flutes. The album is broken up by instrumental tracks that serve as interludes causing the album to be a massive 13 tracks.
Possibly the best thing about
You Forgot It In People is that it really does have something for everyone. Fans of rock bands such as The Strokes will find much to like in songs such as "Stars and Sons" and "Almost Crimes" while fans of calmer, post-rock stylings will appreciate "Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl" and "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart". There is even a laid back, surf style song in the form of "Looks Just Like The Sun". At first,
You Forgot It In People may appear to be a sprawling and inconsistant mess. However, this is only really because there is so much going on that it takes quite a few listens to absorb everything. In fact, there is so much going on that it's not surprising to hear new things on the fifth, sixth or twentieth listen. While the huge lineup and large range of sounds can be irritating at first, it is extremely rewarding for patient listeners.
You Forgot It In People, while large and at times overwhelming is an excellent album for those who are prepared to put in the effort.
Pros
Replayability
Good songwriting
Great range of stylings
Cons
Hard to listen to at first
Requires patience
Some will find it inconsistant
Reccomended Tracks
Almost Crimes
Looks Just Like The Sun
Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl
FINAL RATING: 4/5
