"... Stylish purveyors of monochrome retro-modernism, Broadcast surf the
warm currents of warped lo-fi innovation which flow between Stereolab,
Portishead and My Bloody Valentine. This, their official debut, collects
all their previous releases, including the NME-commissioned
'Lights Out', into a compact and lovingly packaged pocket-sized volume.
And crikey, does it post-rock. But, thankfully, what saves this Brummie
quintet from full rectal head-insertion is their heart of pure pop.
'Work And Non Work' offers much more than the lofty noodlings of machine
fetishists and techno evangelists - the medium is not the message here,
just a filter for the fractured emotions darting around in its shadowy
depths.
Trish Keenan's woozed-out vocals are lost and lovelorn, a broken heart
distilled into pure sound, while the band's general infatuation with
Left-Bank cool and unforced folkiness throws up at least as many
stylishly retro inflections as futuristic ripples. 'The Book Lovers',
for instance, finds the fivesome pedalling down a cobbled Parisian side
street, complete works of Jean-Paul Sartre tucked into their baguettes -
but then drifts off into one of those brief, fractured, melancholic
comedown instrumentals that Blur occasionally do so well. In case it's
not clear by now, 'Work And Non Work' is not a party album. But it knows
the dynamics of a good tune, the heart-tugging impact of a lopsided
waltz rhythm and the soul-stirring power of a softly sobbing voice in
the small hours. It wants to take you home and show you its collection
of antique wireless catalogues. You should let it. (7/10)"
Stephen Dalton
Thanx to Samir Salim for this one. All help and feedback is very welcome.