Broken Bells, Columbia ****
Brian Burton's Danger Mouse catalogue continues to grow. The latest collaborator to feature on the Danger Mouse wall of fame alongside Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, The Black Keys, The Shortwave Set, MF Doom, Joker's Daughter and
Dark Night of the Soul(Danger Mouse's work with the late, great Mark Linkous) is Shins lead singer James Mercer. This intriguing meeting of the minds has been percolating since 2004, when Burton and Mercer began to plot a collaboration. The resulting album's bespoke, masterly mix of modern indie- pop with glowing, occasionally soulful melodies is just what you'd expect from the pair, though there are times when a sense of mutual respect appears to prevent tracks from really going for broke.
As the rich, elegant opener, The High Road, shows, this is about working to the strengths of both players rather than taking a leap into the unknown. See brokenbells.com
Download tracks: The High Road, The Ghost Inside
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