Birds of Tokyo
Track: ‘Broken Bones’
1 Track, Track (2008, Independent)
Related: Birds Of Tokyo.
‘Broken Bones’ is a paragon of radio-friendly alternative rock, even though Birds of Tokyo do their darndest to strip anything vaguely “alternative” out of their music, constructing a shiny, slippery coating around ‘Broken Bones’ to make it easier for people to swallow. Everything about this caters to the vox populi: Ian Kenny’s laconic, simplistic lyrics, the textbook song structures and the piece de resistance – the fist-pumping, multi-layered, sing-your-guts-out chorus. De-tune your guitar and anyone can play along with this. No wonder the kids are loving it. There’s nothing too deep to think about, there’s no trapdoors to snare you along your way. In less than four minutes, it’s all over.
I have to admit: listening to this song is somewhat of a guilty pleasure – at least it was the first couple of times anyway. It appeals directly to my id. There’s a certain skill in being able to construct a song this polished, and in the context of their debut album Universes, it’s the burgundy against a wall of beige. I think Kenny’s singing about a break-up, just like a litany of monolithic rock songs, but the lyrical content is secondary here. In fact, it’s not even important. ‘Broken Bones’ has a miniscule shelf life, and repeated listens strips it of any redeeming qualities it once held. So turn it up loud and listen to it, I dunno, twice?
by Dom Alessio
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