Indie Band the Broken Bells formed in early 2009. No strangers to the music scene, the duo had met before in 2006 and planned on recording together. The band is made up of James Mercer (vocals, guitar) of veteran indie band The Shins, and Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton (multiple instruments, production) who over the years has produced such acts as Beck, The Black Keys, The Gorillaz, The Rapture, and indie/experimental band Gnarls Barkley. Between the two of them, they have over 15 years of experience.
Their self-titled debut album was released on March 9 this year, on Columbia Records. Their widely aclaimed single, “The High Road,” (released on December 21, 2009) received some mixed reviews at first.
The song opens up with an odd, futuristic sounding keyboard riff that seems more at home with a Ziggy Stardust tune than anything else. A couple of seconds later, the drums, bass, and guitar come in and change the mood of the song entirly. The low-key guitar, bass, and drum combo continue to drive as Mercer’s lyrics add on top of the over all mood.
Overall, the song is a bit odd, but is a great addition to the CD and fits into it perfectly.
Mercer and Burton are off to a great start with their low-key sleeper hit and hopefully will continue to crank out many more to come.