Broken Social Scene – Remember the Humans

Review by

Tom Parmiter

Tom is a UK-based music writer who first contributed to No Ripcord in 2018.

Returning after nine years with their sixth full-length album, Remember the Humans, Broken Social Scene intrigue with more of their meticulous, patchwork approach to songwriting. Curious sounds abound, with vocals panned here and there and instruments going high and low. The opening track, “Not Around Anymore,” serves as a hooky introduction, featuring carefully recorded and mixed instrumentation by David Newfeld, who returns to work with the band after a 21-year hiatus since their award-winning, gold-certified self-titled third album.

Among the promotional singles, “The Call” stands out as an airy, layered, and hypnotic listening experience, with delicate vocals seamlessly intertwined with expansive pads, enhancing the overall texture of the album. Plenty of this deft weaving is in evidence elsewhere, as on “Relief,” which segues from acoustic to electronic rhythms and back. “Think Of You” twins strummed acoustic guitars and horns into a gradual, understated crescendo. “This Briefest Kiss,” in particular, cohesively integrates bass, synthesizers, dynamic backing vocals, and drums to create a driving, tight groove, pausing for breath with lead vocal breaks through its six minutes.

The last of the promo singles, “Hey Amanda,” is another that sits well in the tracklisting. Breaking any trance induced by previous tracks with its balanced a cappella opening, it holds your attention throughout with a slight injection of tempo and earworm backing vocals. On the subject of vocals, Hannah Georgas, Lisa Lobsinger, and Feist frequently emerge from these cuts as highlights, both in their melodic interplay and the way they frame the music around them. Their lead and backing vocals sometimes take the foreground to drive the music forward, while at other times they contribute rhythmically.

“Paying For Your Love” continues at the pace established by its predecessor, before “What Happens Now” pulls proceedings back into slow motion. A deep, atmospheric mix packed with synths and strings, the track repeats a vocal refrain before segueing into an almost lo-fi percussion outro. The largely acoustic “Parking Lot Dreams” closes the album with a pleasing coda to a record that ebbs and flows with great skill. There is, indeed, more ebb than flow here. But while there are subdued moments throughout, Remember The Humans more often than not offers a unique listening experience within each of these songs, supported ably by a wide variety of instrumentation and expansive production.

Remember the Humans is out now via Arts & Crafts.