The movers of Broken Bells are Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton and James Mercer of the Shins, and their album After the Disco was my officials ear worm for February. At the time, I noted that the Bee Gees vocal turn in "Holding On for Life" is both eerie and compelling. The album's resonance hasn't quite survived another long, grueling year, but it sure brightened the snowy parts.
After the Disco is the rare, superior sequel — think Toy Story 2 — to Mercer and Burton's seemingly one-off self-titled 2010 debut as Broken Bells. More committed this time — and sounding less like a side project overly obsessed with Beck's despondent Sea Changes — this enervated, rejuvenated follow-up feels like the best of both their worlds, no longer content with mere diversions or outtakes. Instead of trying to mask or distort Mercer's identity, the duo instead presents a clearer, more soulful rendering of the singer while strengthening his bond to Burton, who broadens the sonic palette while boosting the BPMs.
