The Broken West

I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On (Merge)
by Tim Den

Good news for smart guitar pop lovers: Make room on your shelves for The Broken West, a band that recalls the jumpy, jangly days of Nick Lowe, Big Star, Elvis Costello, and modern counterparts Spoon, Brendan Benson, Earlimart, etc. Refreshingly uplifting hooks, warm garage-y production, carefree vocal delivery (that’s more charming than lazy), handclaps… man, I feel like putting on corduroys and growing out my hair. Sure, you could indict The Broken West for being another throwback act with not a single 21st century bone in their bodies, but so what? What’s so great about 2007, anyway? Everyone text messaging instead of talking? Songs that have lyrics like “doncha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me/doncha/doncha?” More people voting on American Idol than presidential elections? Everyone overweight and undereducated? No thanks, I’ll take summery ’70s power pop over the landscapes of Idiocracy any day.
(www.mergerecords.com)