My first exposure to Broadcast was “Come On Let’s Go” off of their stellar debut LP The Noise Made By People. That track, characteristic of Broadcast’s glitchy, psychedelic brand of dream pop is truly unique. “Black Cat”, while still retaining the repetitive, minimal melodies and atmospheric drones Broadcast mastered on their first two records, is a different beast; Broadcast trade in live drums for a drum machine and replace gentle synth swells with glitchy melodies and walls of feedback. “Black Cat” features a simple groove that gets turned on its head by fuzzy, stuttering synths and swells of guitar noise. The late Trish Keenan’s hypnotic vocals rise above the droning instrumentation, floating gracefully above a sea of static. It is rare for a band to so successfully incorporate noise and experimental elements into pop music, but Broadcast do it flawlessly. Certainly one of the more original and inventive groups of the early 2000s, Broadcast is a fantastic band well worth a listen. Fans of Animal Collective, Stereolab, MBV, or Yo La Tengo, this’ll be right up your alley. Check it.
