Broken Bells: s/t

Label: Columbia

James Mercer of the Shins plus Danger Mouse: Okay then, what are your questions? Well, basically, all you want to know is, Does this pairing work? Yup. Danger Mouse’s skill as a producer, you could say, is just that — making things work. And while it can be a little unnerving hearing Mercer’s voice with effects on it (minimal though they are), Broken Bells really does end up like the sum total of its parts: Mercer’s high vocals and innate pop sensibilities in the service of Danger Mouse’s aesthetic, which manifests here as a strangely alluring modernist take on ’70s music (a certain electric-piano sound, a certain type of analog-synth sound, et cetera). First single “The High Road” also exhibits the wispy melancholy that emanates from much of the album, and which seems to be a natural by-product of this musical union. Faintly bittersweet and definitely recommended for Shins fans and anyone interested in the ways pop music moves forward — not in huge leaps but natural progressions. (Vinyl includes digital download.) (M. L. Thrope)