ARTIST: The Broken West
TITLE: I Can't Go On, I'll Go On
LABEL: Merge Records
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 226kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 44m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-01-09
RIP DATE: 2007-01-03
Track List
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1. On The Bubble 2:39
2. So It Goes 3:11
3. Down In The Valley 3:52
4. Shiftee 4:10
5. Brass Ring 3:43
6. Big City 3:34
7. You Can Build An Island 3:15
8. Hale Sunrise 4:39
9. Abigail 2:47
10. Slow 2:51
11. Baby On My Arm 4:03
12. Like A Light 5:29
Release Notes:
The Broken West formed in Los Angeles in the summer of 2004, a group of friends
from all across the country, coming together based on their mutual love of
music. Originally known as The Brokedown, the band changed their name in the
fall of 2006 in response to concerns from another band out of Chicago with a
similar name. Names may change, but great music still remains. So far in their
young rock and roll life The Broken West have already released a critically
acclaimed EP û The DutchmanÆs Gold û and criss-crossed the country several
times, we're assuming in a beat-up van. In January 2007, Merge will release
their debut full length, I CanÆt Go On, IÆll Go On, wherein the lads craft their
roughly elegant pop with infectious confidence that belies their relatively
short career to date. I CanÆt Go On, IÆll Go On is a true power pop gem -
shimmering and cool, with sharp edges and soaring melodies - recorded over the
course of a year (July 2005-August 2006) under the watchful eye and patient,
insightful ears of engineer Raymond Richards at his Red Rockets Glare studio in
Rancho Park, CA. The process was truly a labor of love, wherein the band grew by
leaps and bounds as songwriters and musicians. The results are captured on a
record that ranks with the best of debuts, a mature and cohesive album. Like any
great pop record, I CanÆt Go On, IÆll Go On 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 are obvious touchstones,
as well as more contemporary favorites like Spoon and Teenage Fanclub, but The
Broken West's triumphant songs stand strongly on their own. Over the last
several years, LA has once again become a fertile proving ground for many young
musicians and bands. Not since its psych-pop heyday in the late 60Æs or the punk
explosion of the early 80Æs, has the volume and variety of great music emerging
from southern California been this diverse. The Broken West hail from the Echo
Park and Silverlake neighborhoods that serve as an epicenter of this new LA
ôsceneö, and while they soak it all up like the warm California sun, playing
scores of shows with a wide variety of contemporaries, our heroes have never
really felt a part of any particular scene or movement. Instead they have formed
a tight bond as a band, favoring their mutual appreciation for the classic pop
of earlier generations over any sort of flavor-of-the-month trend or fashion.
Listening to tracks like ôDown In The Valleyö, ôSo It Goesö or ôHale Sunriseö,
you can hear the universal themes of longing and loss tempered by the hope and
optimism of bright sunny melodies and hooks so catchy that they seem instantly
familiar. The Broken West are a talented group of young musicians united in
their love of ôthe song.ö Whether it be in the studio or on stage, where their
raucously energetic live show is a site to behold, their enthusiasm and optimism
are infectious, as it should be. What you hold in your hands is an extraordinary
new album from an amazing young band destined to be reckoned with for years to
come. THE BROKEN WEST IS: Ross Flournoy (guitar, vocals); Dan Iead (guitar,
backing vocals); Brian Whelan (bass, backing vocals); Rob McCorkindale (drums,
percussion); Scott Claassen (keys, backing vocals)