When I first got into alternative music in the early 90s, I liked bands like Pearl Jam and Counting Crows (don't judge), but I really fell in love with the alternative dance sound of Depeche Mode and Erasure. The songs I liked the most were the ones that incorporated both synths and the organic sounds of acoustic guitar. To this day, "A Little Respect" and Electronic's "Get The Message" still count as favorites. For some reason, that sound is rarely used today. So as soon as the first track of Broken Bells debut kicked in, I had a huge nostalgia rush back to those synth-pop favorites.
More than that, this album is the best production Danger Mouse has done to date. It continues his signature sound, but takes it in more interesting places than the Gnarls Barkley or even his Beck production could go. The secret weapon is James Mercer's guitar. He takes the brainy pop of The Shins, and places it comfortably into a cocoon of 50s filtered synths. It's not the deepest album, which works. These master craftsmen keep the melancholy light and fun. Seriousness would have weighted it down and made it less powerful of an experience.
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