Band: Broken Poets
Record: Everything In Nature
Basics: An indie duo that recently re-tooled their sound to emphasize Tom McDonald's deep, brooding voice, the Poets have a the same vibe you'll find in the slowest Death Cab for Cutie songs. Though they at times sound a lot like the standard alt-rock fare you'll hear on, say, The Edge, this is a very high-minded band. They've got a manifesto here and a long statement on the back of their record that begins, "The songs on this record were inspired by the realization that my place in the world is directly related to my relationship with nature..."
Best Song: "Once Before" starts out with a great little riff reminiscent of Coldplay. "My Station," has the best tempo on the whole record, speeding and slowing at several points to create a great vibe.
Worst Song: The record tails off toward the end with "Last Ressurection of the First Bob Dylan" and "The Matriarch" both lacking the verve some of the rest of this record has.
Suggested Changes: I'd desperately like to hear Broken Poets vary their pace more, as the slow speed and the relatively simple tracks backing McDonald's powerful voice get a bit boring after awhile. The band has found it's sound -- but it needs to branch out a bit.
Grade: B
