Broken Record

With 50+ years of sonically diverse alternative music to draw from, it seems intuitive that a band would utilize the full scope of sounds available to them in order to synthesize something uniquely their own. Be that as it may, most acts are happy to retread old ground with little deviation from the established formulas. Denver, CO’s Broken Record is not one of those bands.

On Nothing Moves Me—their second LP and Really Rad Records debut—Broken Record delivers a lovingly crafted ode to the music that inspired them while carving out a space that defies easy categorization. Shimmering, chorus-drenched leads simultaneously evoke both the post-emo alt-rock of Turnover and Title Fight and the 80s post-punk groups that served as those bands’ muses. Gigantic, fuzzy choruses bring to mind the most triumphant singalongs of 90s indie rock. Soaring vocals and tasteful theatricality demonstrate an unabashed affinity for radio-ready emo acts of the early 2000s like Bayside and Taking Back Sunday. The result is a record that is far beyond the sum of its parts, delicately balancing each element in perfect harmony. Whether it’s in the bending, shoegaze-informed riffs or the propulsive, power-pop refrains, Nothing Moves Me deftly maneuvers the razor-thin tightrope between experimentation and cohesion.

The comfort of the familiar is an ever-tempting proposition, while the excitement of the novel is an alluring prospect in its own right. With Nothing Moves Me, Broken Record ask simply, “Why not both?”