Broken Social Scene: Remember the Humans

"After completing the promotional run for their last album, 2017's Hug of Thunder, Broken Social Scene locked into a years-long nostalgia circuit. The Toronto collective celebrated the 20th anniversary of You Forgot It in People with an extended tour, a Record Store Day reissue, a collection of covers by the younger generation they influenced, a graphic novel reimagining the LP, and a live album recorded in 2003; then came a broader compilation of B-sides and rarities, and a full-blown documentary about the band's early years."

"Despite saturating themselves in the past, Broken Social Scene never bothered with the pervasive question that can plague artists in the aftermath of triumph: How do we recapture that sound and success? Instead, they cobbled together a studio in the pastoral village of Warkworth, Ontario, whose local goods-honored with dedicated festivals: maple syrup, lilacs, the " perfect pie"-sound like the ingredients that comprise the band. Broken Social Scene used friendship and honesty as musical lightning rods, watching weeks morph into months as their expansive lineup rotated through the doors, and they chiseled out Remember the Humans, their first album in nine years."

"Although its title is a play on You Forgot It in People, Remember the Humans is far from a reprisal. Broken Social Scene turned their amps louder with each consecutive album until the more restrained Hug of Thunder, and they continue to temper the volume on Remember the Humans. They don't outright return to their instrumental post-rock roots, but they do entertain those impulses, jamming on lackadaisical indie rock until it's billowy and cushioned."

"For a band that used to holler wildly and drown in guitar, they sound sober this go-around. Don't let that fool you, though; this is still quintessential Broken Social Scene-brokenhearted love songs, striking images set in dream logic, longing for connection while admitting the faults that prevent it-even if it necessitates a new lev"

Broken Social Scene spent years revisiting earlier work, including anniversary tours, reissues, covers, a graphic novel, a live album, a compilation of B-sides and rarities, and a documentary about their early years. Instead of trying to recapture past triumph, they created a new studio in Warkworth, Ontario, and drew on local traditions like maple syrup, lilacs, and “perfect pie” as guiding imagery. The band relied on friendship and honesty while an expansive lineup rotated through the process over months. Remember the Humans became their first album in nine years, shaped by restraint rather than a direct return to earlier post-rock roots, with indie rock that feels cushioned and sober, yet still delivers brokenhearted love songs and dreamlike imagery.

Read at Pitchfork