See the original article posted here: http://kevchino.com/review/broken-bells/meyrin-fields/2237
In September 2004, through the admiration of each other’s talents, James Mercer (The Shins) and Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) met at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Six years later these talents drew them together once more to create their debut release, the self-titled Broken Bells. The follow-up to this is the beautiful Meyrin Fields, an EP that gives you the depth of a full album in just four outstanding songs.
James Mercer’s distinctive vocals and the powerful production talents of Danger Mouse make this act a force to be reckoned with. Original and intriguing, it seems there’s no limit to what these two musicians can do once put together. Meyrin Fields is a roller coaster of experimental beats and trippy riffs that, coupled with Mercer’s voice, make for an ever-interesting ride.
The title track, “Meyrin Fields,” and following track, “Windows,” both feature macabre and spooky overtones—the latter possibly acting as the soundtrack to a robber or Peeping Tom crawling through back alleys and surveying unknowing victims through their windows.
“An Easy Life” then lightens the mood with its slight reggae feel and fully showcases Danger Mouse’s amazing production skills, especially in the bridge, which is reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s . . .” Closing with “Heartless Empire,” they opt for a slower, less-produced sound, using distant droning guitars underneath echoing and melodic vocals.
This is unquestionably a fine effort from Mercer and Burton that will leave you wanting more, and it seems the sky’s the limit for these two musical artisans, so who can tell what the future will bring? One thing’s for sure—it’s looking mighty bright.
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