( Arts & Crafts, released Fri Jul 7 2017)
Ever 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. 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.
The Canadians represent that very rare thing in music – a politically charged band who manage to maintain a sunny disposition. Normally, protest songs are either angry and bitter, or morose and defeatist; BSS are neither. 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”.
For 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. Their music is anthemic without being bloated, catchy without being repetitive and insightful without the preachiness.
For 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. 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.”
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. 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. 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.
All in all, Hug of Thunder shows BSS at their best; facing down disunity and division with unapologetic optimism. 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. If that’s the case, just say the word, Kevin; we’ll get right to work.