Track Listing

1. On the Bubble
2. So It Goes
3. Down in the Valley
4. Shiftee
5. Brass Ring
6. Big City
7. You Can Build an Island
8. Hale Sunrise
9. Abigail
10. Slow
11. Baby on My Arm
12. Like a Light

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55423 in Music
• Released on: 2007-01-23
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
Their debut is a power-pop gem, shimmering and cool, with sharp edges and soaring melodies. The record deals with eternal themes of isolation, distance, and the longing for a center - a sense of place - in this topsy-turvy world. The Kinks, Big Star, and The Byrds, as well as more contemporary favorites like Spoon, Wilco, and Teenage Fanclub are certainly touchstones, but The Broken West's winning songs stand on their own.

Customer Reviews

They Can Go On
I saw the Broken West open up for The National, summer 2007... what a show. One of the few opening acts that could've headlined. I'm sure they will be shortly, based on this album. They have some upbeat pop elements but stay true to the 'indie' title... are we all getting sick of calling REAL GOOD MUSIC indie, or is it just me? Anyway, on with the review...

The album starts with what most say is a great song, although I don't like it. Nothing too catchy. Track 2, "So It Goes", starts with pounding drums, and I think this was how they opened the concert. Instantly drew me in. Kind of like Brian Wilson crooning over one of Spoon's happier songs. "Down in the Valley" starts with some grungy (another one of those terms that needs replacing) guitars, then brings in some semi-effected/filtered vocals, ala The Bigger Lovers/Electric Soft Parade, but finds more of a melody than most of eithers' catalogues. "Shiftee" is downbeat and forgettable. "Brass Ring" picks things up again, in the same vein as "So It Goes". Hopefully this will be Broken West's bread and butter. What a song. "Big City" contains some synths and funky piano riffs, reminding me again of Spoon, but also a bit of Beatles in there, and some other influences I can't pin down yet. "You Can Build an Island" has simplistic melody, soothing vocals, solid guitars, and is a true gem. Brings to mind Julian Lennon's song "I Don't Wanna Know".

This leads into the album's standout, in my opinion. "Hale Sunrise" has it all. Great vocal arrangements, pounding beats, grooving piano. This one will be in heavy rotation for me for quite some time. Really digging this track. Very uplifting. "Abigail" follows and is a nice addition to the ever growing list of songs with first names of women. Nice backing vocals, Beatle/Beach Boy-esque, with some spacially separated drums plodding nicely in the background, until an electric piano solo leads into the 3rd verse. Great 1-2 punch here.

"Slow" is definitely fast, but drags. Nothing exceptional, actually the only song that I consider filler. Next up is the haunting "Baby on My Arm", with vocals swirling and blending into a nice sweeping pad. Good guitar strumming on this one. Check out the version of this song on the Woxy.com lounge act. Truly amazing. "Like a Light" closes off the album, and has a real 'bookend' feel. Slow build up to a nice end to a great album.

All in all, I regret selling this disc back to the record shop after I ripped it. I have a feeling I'll be wanting more than the mp3's on my PC in the years to come. Oh yeah, just a note... if you can find their cover of Tegan and Sara's "Back in Your Head" online, don't miss it. They take the annoying out of it and turn it into a beautiful song. They Can Go On, They Will Go On.

Intruiging debut album
Let me state upfront that I had never heard of these guys until I heard them on WOXY, the internet-only indie-rock station (BAM!! The Future of Rock and Roll!) that plays the best music in the country, bar none. The Broken West have been around since 2004, releasing an EP along the way (under the "Brokedown" nomiker) and finally released this in early 2007.

"I Can't Go On, I'll Go On" (12 tracks, 44 min.) is the band's debut album, and brings an eclectic mix of pop-smart tunes with a great indie undertone. The opener "On the Bubble" sets the table beautifully, a short, hard-driven track with great harmonizing vocals and the band on all cylinders. "Shiftee" is one of the few pensive tunes, but it works great. My favorite tune on the album is "You Can Build an Island", which gives us the Byrds-sound updated for the 21st century, just beautiful. There really is no weak moment on this set, just check out "Slow" towards the end, with an urgency that just grabs you. The closer "Like a Light" summarizes the album just perfectly.

I happen to catch the Broken West in concert at the Monolith Festival (at the Red Rocks near Denver) last September, and they put on a great set. These guys are on to something. Meanwhile "I Can't Go on, I'll Go On" is a great album. Highly recommended!

Muddling Through
After 3 listens to these largely undifferentiated tracks, I became resigned to the conclusion that my enjoyment had quickly plateaued. The musicianship is adequate at best, the rhythmic elements are not particularly inspiring and the vocals are submerged in the mix. There is simply not enough "there" there and it feels repetitive in spots. For the limited range that this music trades in, it seemed passable, but it would be far down my list of go-to stuff on the I-Pod. I could go on, but I won't.