broken social scene hug of thunder review

“Looking at the general state of the world right now, we knew that putting our unified friendship out there was a great protest that we could do,” band ringleader Kevin Drew said in a recent interview, and he’s totally right: Broken Social Scene’s mere existence at this point feels at odds with a world that’s increasingly fractured and disconnected, and because Hug Of Thunder’s ambitions are simple, it means the execution is right on point. They prefer a more hands-off approach to publicizing their music, wagging their finger at society but never getting too involved, preferring to let their art speak for itself. Instead, Hug Of Thunder is just a refreshing and welcome excuse for a bunch of old friends to get the gang together again and create some solid songs that don’t reinvent the wheel but hit often enough to justify these people’s continuous orbit around each other. Contrast the unassuming returns of these early-’00s artists that deliver the goods with some of the louder returns that might not - those of infinite content loops and incessant teasing - and it’s pretty easy to spot the difference.īroken Social Scene have never been a cynical group, especially when it comes to their music, and there’s no performative trolling to be found in its expansive lineup. In the past months, we’ve had stellar comebacks from Feist and Do Make Say Think, and new albums from Emily Haines and Stars are on the horizon. In fact, there’s been a lot of music this year that has served as a reminder of the longevity and potency of the ragtag crew that ushered in the Bush years. After seven years away, Broken Social Scene have returned with Hug Of Thunder, an album that’s a galvanizing reminder of the strength of the Toronto indie-rock scene.

Broken social scene hug of thunder review