Friday, February 25, 2011

I Forgot It in People

Before Broken Social Scene went famous in the hip indie music world in 2002, the Canadian singer/songwriter Kevin Drew was in a musical project by the name of K.C. Accidental. The project was mostly home-recorded instrumental rock diddies, and was created by Drew and future BSS bandmate Charles Spearin. Two albums were released during the group's lifetime: Captured Anthems for an Empty Bathtub in the late '90s, and Anthems for the Could've Bin Pills in 2000.



Both albums have a similar outlook: slow churning instrumental jams, recommended to kickstart your sullen, reflective state of mind. Besides the sound, the albums feature a similar setup as well: six songs, tail ended by 12 minute introspective epics. However, differences can be squared away after a couple of listens to the albums. Captured Anthems, the earlier release, has a strong cacophonous sound on the percussion that is almost completely missing from future BSS-related recordings. The album is heavy on that reflective, building sound I stated before, but isn't afraid to push that sound aside for a more immediate, loud offering, as you can hear on the opening rocker Nancy and the Girdle Boy and Anorexic He-Man. Anthems for the Could've Bin Pills is where contemporary BSS is starting to shine through. Songs like Residental Love Song and Them (Pop Song #3333) are lively counterparts to future BSS recordings; Them even features an early inclusions of vocals, albeit in a more experimental, not so melodically rich manner.

Broken Social Scene was one of my first jumps into modern alternative rock, after being stuck in a classic rock mindset throughout my middle school years. Lots of wonderful moments I can pinpoint thanks to their musical output, and I have been really enjoying going back to their roots and hearing the beginnings of their graceful sound. K.C. Accidental's two albums are slightly rock-oriented mood music, and are easily palatable with whatever tasks us humans waste our limited time on. If you like your music with a little more emphasis on composition alongside texture, try out Broken Social Scene's later albums. Here's Residential Love Song by K.C. Accidental.

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