While certainly not the best-known member of indie rock assemblage Broken Social Scene (otherwise the “BSS presents” tag probably wouldn’t be appended to the disc), Kevin Drew attacks his content on Spirit If… like he has something to prove. In a sound best described as a host of ghosts in the machine clamoring to be heard, Spirit If… erupts with bracing drums surrounded on all sides with ambient and often comforting complimentary instrumentation that turns propulsive on a second’s notice. The occasionally dense and largely computer-generated songs (like “F–ked Up Kid,” “Farewell To The Pressure Kids,” “Lucky Ones” and “Frightening Lives” for example) seem almost deliberately stiff and ambitious when placed next to the spare sonic tension of “Broke Me Up” and “Gang Bang Suicide,” and those tracks operate as breathers between torrents. Because of those interim tracks, Spirit If… does occasionally feel a bit muddled when played from end to end (“Big Love” gets daunting in its hobbled soundscapes in particular) and doesn’t make for an easy ride by any stretch, but for those moments where the parts align and chime rather than thud when they rub together, Spirit If… does yield some pretty good moments.
Spirit If… is out on Arts & Crafts on September 18, 2007
Download “Tbtf” from Spirit If… – [mp3]
