This one takes a little while to get the hang of, but the payoff is worth it. BRKN LOVE’s “The Program” is an exercise in reality versus expectation, but if the latter can be suspended, the former will provide reward.
It is easy, and often wise, to take pre-album press statements from an artist with an enormous hunk of salt. Words like ‘darker,’ ‘heavier’ and ‘emotional’ could be safely slotted onto a sardonic bingo card and marked with casual consistency. Justin Benlolo (who, no matter how many people BRKN LOVE puts in a band photo, IS BRKN LOVE, for all intents and purposes,) made a statement in the run-up to this record along the lines of expanding the parameters of the band, pushing the boundaries, and the usual tired cliches that every genre is rife with to the point of nausea.
The difference here, is that Justin, as it turns out, actually meant it. Written across a couple of months on an impromptu trip to South Carolina, Justin guides BRKN LOVE and “The Program” through some territory that will feel unfamiliar from the Canadian, even as it rings close enough to be recognizable.
And this is where expectation comes into play. When one thinks of BRKN LOVE, it’s nearly impossible to separate the mental image of the band from two distinct sounds - the chunky, gloriously over-distorted fuzz of “Shot Down,” and the biting hook of “Like a Drug.” BRKN LOVE, at their best to this point, has been defined by tone and by the inspiration of Benolo’s instantly catchy riffs.
“The Program” takes a few full listens to grasp, because some of that has gone by the wayside. Not entirely, of course. The guitar tone is still syrupy thick, albeit not as thick as on the band’s eponymous debut, and not even quite as gooey as the follow-up “Black Box.” The focus on this album is less about single, memorable moments and more about a long, uninterrupted ride of music. To that end, “The Program” seems more focused on melody and accessibility than on punishing moments of rock ferocity.
To call an album ‘poppy’ is a cardinal sin in some circles, but take the epithet for what it is - BRKN LOVE has composed an album that, in a different era of popular music, would have found a home in consistent radio play, more so than either of its predecessors. It’s hard to imagine a song like “Pulling Leeches,” with a central riff that has vague overtones of INXS, could dodge radio exposure, or have felt at home on either BRKN LOVE album to this point. Same goes for the bright beat of “Callous” and the proto-ballad “Cruel,” at least as far as the latter point is concerned.
The key to the entire experience is “Unholy,” which is in the middle of the record, and is the first song that really bridges the gap between expectation and production. Yes, it’s a little muted relative to the fury of “Bad Blood,” but the riff feels right, and Justin’s borderline indifferent, moderated vocal line helps sell the melody. “Unholy” in turn, serves as the Rosetta Stone for the rest of “The Program.” Once the listener understands that this album is focused on flow and melody and accessible pacing, the album opens up and the skill starts to shine through.
There is a fair criticism to be levied here that in alignment with this compositional shift, BRKN LOVE have put themselves in the nebulous middle ground of rock, somewhere between the jagged edges of Dead Poet Society, and the high-gloss perfection of The Warning. And so long as we’re here, outside of “Unholy,” there are many very good songs on “The Program,” an album’s worth as a matter of fact, but it’s hard to point a prospective listener to a “holy shit” moment, as opposed to the revelation of some of BRKN LOVE’s past singles.
In either case though, those criticisms are immaterial and don’t really matter unless the listener allows them to. It’s been discussed many times on this site, in many ways, that there are two pathways to success in music, especially rock music - either do something no one has heard before, or do something familiar really well. BRKN LOVE, specifically on this new record, falls into the second camp, and that’s totally fine, especially in light of how Benlolo stays true to most of his band’s hallmarks. Good music is good music, and however simple that comes across, that’s what really matters.
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