Life, death, love, heartbreak. and an awe for all the mystery that is life. This is Kevin Drew at his most introspective. He’s looking the future in the face, the prospect of loss, change, and the unknown. But he’s embracing it, wistfully.
The new Kevin Drew album is a doozy. If you’re familiar with his prior work, he’s one of the main contributors behind the Canadian indie behemoth that is Broken Social Scene. In lieu of their recent announcement of indefinite hiatus, this album feels very much informed by that reality.
This sounds like a Broken Social Scene album, very similar to Feel Good Lost or You Forgot it in People. Also known as the best albums they ever wrote. Kevin Drew just wrote another best Broken Social Scene album, as a solo offering.
The album is punctuated with lush arrangements, heavy use of reverb, dreamy synths, plunky distant piano keys, droning almost hypnotic drumming, vocals front and center in the mix. Chock full of instrumental and lyrical hooks. Good indie pop / baroque pop with 2000’s sensibility.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVPrjH9P0Pw[/youtube]And you might wonder why. I haven’t read interviews, and I sort of want to put forth my own theory here. Could be completely off. But this is Kevin’s breakup album to Broken Social Scene. The songs are powerful, expansive, beautiful. Recorded to standard, lush arrangement, honest delivery.
Some of the songs seem a bit weird. “Do you want to go to the Mexican after-show party?” But weird works. You get a sense its not about the words per say, that there’s something dancing beneath the surface. That existential angst. Likely there in lieu of the band he’s sculpted and lived for 15 years ending.
If you’re going through tumult and change in your life, if you’re treading that rocky road and embracing the chaos, this album may be for you. I think for my part, this may be the soundtrack to my year.
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