BROKEN RECORDS (London Soho Revue Bar, 11/03/08)


Middle-of-the-road mediocrities The Heart Strings are the ostensible headliners of tonight’s set at the Soho Revue Bar, but it’s clear that the vast majority of those present are here for Scotland’s new great hopes, and deservedly so. Despite the less-than-salubrious environs of the venue (located in some sleazy Soho backstreet), Broken Records’ first ever London show exudes more class than any new band on the circuit. As much as they must hate this comparison, they’ve definitely got something of the Arcade Fire about them; their epic scope, the baroque instrumentation, the intense, kinetic performance of their lead singer. But they’re certainly no rip-off merchants; rather than emulating the doom-and-gloom bombast of their Canadian counterparts, they furrow a folkier vein more akin to the likes of Okkervil River. There’s even a touch of Beirut on a couple of songs, uplifting strings and accordions adding a touch of lightness to their multi-layered sound.

There’s still room for improvement though; Broken Records still lack the emotional pull to be as rapturous an experience as their talent would suggest. Their musicianship and songwriting is undeniably superb, but it’s slightly lacking in innovation and edge; as much as I enjoy their material, they’ve yet to truly blow me away in the way Arcade Fire did three years ago. Also, with the exception of the frontman, the band don’t quite deliver the passion the songs deserve, although I’m sure this is something that’ll improve over time. But overall, this is an exceedingly successful performance; the fact that they could achieve total silence from the audience (an audience filled with industry types to boot!) during closer The Slow Parade marks them out an incredibly special talent. One of the best sets of the year so far, there’s no doubt in my mind that Broken Records are the most promising British band in yonks.

(Photo: Helen (Flickr))