Staff Reviews

Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins To Part

Review by Neil Ashman

The debut album by Edinburgh septet Broken Records arrives riding a wave of hype, mostly generated by ubiquitous proclamations that they are 'the Scottish Arcade Fire'. However, to this writer's ears at least, they bear a startlingly resemblance to one other band in particular: The Waterboys. Frontman Jamie Sutherland's tremulous, sometimes rasping pipes at times bear an uncanny resemblance to Waterboys frontman - and fellow Edinburgher - Mike Scott, most evident on the re-recorded version of early single 'If the News Makes You Sad, Don't Watch It'. In addition, the septet's epic folk-rock isn't unlike the blend of Celtic sentimentality and 'Big Music' that The Waterboys dealt in on the This Is Sea and Fisherman's Blues albums in the mid to late Eighties.»

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'until the earth begins to part' is the debut album from broken records. the album features ten tracks and was recorded in monnow valley studio in monmouth with producer ian caple. gravitas, that's what scottish seven piece broken records bring to the party. swirling orchestras, pounding pianos, mournful vocals and a hint of glockenspiel all add to the weighty mix that comprises broken records. the brooding cellos and the pounding piano and lead vocals embittered and indelibly inked in pain all create an epic swirling and mystifying sound, with a warm passionate heart beating, and the thump of interesting little flourishes like glockenspiel and accordion and trumpet to round out an impressively bursting sound.
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