Broken Bells - Broken Bells - Music & Performance - CD

James Mercer and Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) want Broken Bells to be seen, and heard, as an honest-to-goodness band, not a side-project dalliance. It's a little tricky to do that when first listening to their self-titled debut album, since they're such distinctive talents. Mercer's vocals and melodies will almost certainly evoke the Shins to some degree or another, but he and Burton steer clear of bright pop in favor of winding melodies and mellow atmospheres. "The High Road" melds slick electronic percussion and a searching, minor-key melody that echoes the duo's previous work without rehashing it. Toward the end, Broken Bells break out of their reflective mood with "The Mall & the Misery," which closes the album with crisp chamber pop. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi