Kevin Drew

Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew enlisted all of his bandmates in the making of his first solo album. The results are tops, with some frazzled tracks careening around wildly while others offer up melodic indie-pop beauty. "Gang Bang Suicide" (you read that right) is a downcast gem, while "F-ked Up Kid" and "Tbtf" both deserve radio play despite their ample employment of the F word. "Broke Me Up" plays like a meeting between a yawning Jeff Tweedy and a blurry, off-his-game Burt Bacharach (that's a compliment, Mr. Drew).

At its best, the broken social Scene leader's solo album mixes chaos and melody with an
almost preordained precision. “Farewell to the Pressure Kids” and “Backed Out on the .
. . “ are orchestrated accidents, glorious pileups of decades of indie-rock strategies.
They're not to be missed. The pulse of the quieter cuts draws you into dreamy little songs
that play out like strolls through an art gallery. Beautiful, if not always transfixing... More >