Liam Reviews: Broken Social Scene, The Lemon Twigs, Genesis Owusu, and more!

 Broken Social Scene - Remember the Humans

2026 has been a stellar year as far as Canadian indie veterans are concerned, with Wintersleep, The New Pornographers, and Metric already having released superb albums. Now it's the turn of perhaps one of the most celebrated, Broken Social Scene, whose sixth album has been almost a decade in the making. One strength of the band over the years has been making anthemic, emotive pearls of indie, and Remember the Humans is no different in that regard.

Perhaps the albums main flaw is that it takes a while to get going - the first couple of tracks are a little underwhelming. 'Mission Accomplished (Kingfisher)' and 'The Call' are where things begin to gather pace and both feel like the band starting to find some form, but there's still something missing. 'Relief' has slight Fleetwood Mac vibes with its sun-kissed harmonies, and then there's the gorgeously sprawling 'And I Think Of You' which snowballs into something truly majestic. But overall it's an underwhelming first half.

While the second half does carry a little more of an emotional punch, there are no major standouts throughout the album's run-time, though it does feel like the kind of album that could grow given time and repeat listens, sort of like some of The National's earlier output. In any case, it's great to have Broken Social Scene back at the very least.

7/10

The Lemon Twigs - Look For Your Mind!

Though I can in no way attest to it, I'm sure the 1960s were great, at least in terms of the musical revolutions that were gathering apace. Judging from this latest Lemon Twigs album, they think so too, with more or less every song on this album sounding like it came straight from the sixties. Ordinarily this would be derivative or tedious, but somehow with their incessant ear for harmony and their innovative approach, The Lemon Twigs make it work.

Sure, the best track on the whole thing doesn't come until the very end on the magnificently hypnotic 'Your True Enemy' with its vocal distortions, but the whole album shimmers and shines with a vitality that few bands are able to conjure up. The harmonies throughout the album are so delicious you'll swear that you could taste them.

That said, barring that final track, it lacks the re-listen value. One listen felt like enough to appreciate and celebrate the highlights, but it felt as if once I'd heard one song, I'd heard the entire album. That said, it's not often a band are this outwardly retro in their approach, and that's something to certainly be admired.

7/10

Bonner Kramer and Thurston Moore - They Came Like Swallows: Seven Requiems for the Children of Gaza

Legendary Sonic Youth vocalist Thurston Moore has been prolific in terms of his output, whether with collaborators like legendary producer Bonner Kramer, with Sonic Youth, or as a solo artist. As you can tell from the title, this latest effort is profound in every sense. 

Sonically, politically, and morally, the album carries a subtle fury throughout, and of course the post-rock soundscapes lend themselves perfectly to such an intense and horrific topic such as the genocide in Gaza. The lack of vocals until the haunting cover of Joy Division's 'Insight' on the closing track lend the album something more in terms of its emptiness. Much like with Godspeed You! Black Emperor's latest album, the beauty is in the expansive emptiness - the gaps deliberately there to convey the sheer emptiness and brutality of such an obscene world that could allow this to happen.

That said, beyond the political statements and fairly solid instrumentals, this isn't much else beyond a fascinating project, and it's one you'd be unlikely to revisit for any reason. In dedicating a project to the innocent children of the genocide, however. Thurston and Bonner should be roundly commended.

7/10

Genesis Owusu - Redstar Wu and the Worldwide Scourge

Genesis Owusu's Smiling With No Teeth is still one of the best debuts of the decade so far - the somehow seamless blend of post-punk, funk, and hip-hop just struck a chord with so many, and it's easy to see why. 2023's Struggler was also pretty solid, but it had a lot to live up to given the quality of the debut. Genesis Owusu is essentially a musical chameleon, able to turn his hand to whatever genre he fancies, and that kind of spirit returns in abundance on Redstart Wu and the Worldwide Scourge.

It's abundantly clear that the worldwide scourge of the title is the rising tide of ignorance, racism, Fascism, and all the usual suspects, especially on 'Death Cult Zombie', at which you can probably have a guess which death cult is being referred to. It's probably the best thing on here with its incongruously brilliant guitar-driven post-punk that could easily be mistaken for something straight from Wire's Pink Flag. Other highlights include the frenetic 'Stampede', and the trap vibes of 'Life Keeps Going', though it's an album full of high points.

'Situations' is probably one of the most mellow cuts on the album, once again using guitar to its advantage but in an entirely alternate sense to the aforementioned 'Death Cult Zombie'. It's a great chance to reflect and allow the album to breathe. Then you have penultimate track 'Big Dog', which was tailor-made for the upcoming summer. If there's a weakness of this album, it's that it's too long - a few tracks early on could certainly have been cut. But overall, it's another work of genius from this glorious Australian prince.

8/10

Dua Saleh - Of Earth and Wires

I genuinely had no idea what to expect going into this first experience of Dua Saleh - honestly this was just one of those generic Pitchfork recommendations that sounded pretty interesting. What I got was something brilliant and fairly unique. I genuinely don't know how to define it in terms of genre. Bon Iver is a regular feature though, which gives you at least some kind of reference point. 

The intricate opener '5 Days' is perfect in the sense it lulls you with its gently strummed guitar melody before ascending into a brilliantly loud and passionate electronica outro. 'Breathe' then takes on that electronica vibe throughout on the subsequent track, before the first Bon Iver feature on 'Flood'. 

That said, it's not the Bon Iver features that provide the highlights on this album, which clocks in at  a mere 26 minutes. 'Firestorm' brings summery, soulful vibes aplenty, with Dua showcasing an impressive and unique vocal range. 'I Do, I Do' follows with something a little more low-key, but just as impactful on its chorus. It's an album full to the brim with soul, perhaps most prominently on 'Anemic'. The only real weakness is the brevity of such a dynamic and unique album, which very much deserves your attention.

8/10

Basement - Wired

Sticking with the theme of wires in the album title apparently, post-hardcore/pop-punk five-piece Basement, I was surprised to learn, hail from Ipswich rather than Los Angeles. Such is the anthemic nature of the band's back catalogue up to this point - the melodies go just as hard as the riffs, bringing to mind something a lot more sunkissed than, with all respect, Suffolk.

But it's nice to have an artist from Ipswich that isn't Ed Sheeran I guess, particularly for the town itself. The band's latest effort is a solid 12-track effort with a 37 minute run-time that is certainly enjoyable, if a little repetitive. It could be said the ideas lack variety on one hand, but on the other, the band know how to write a solid pop-punk song - take the title track as a prime example. 'Broken By Design' is also excellent - certainly a lot more gentle and introspective.

Unfortunately there's not a lot that's as utterly brilliant as 'Satisfy' with its infectious chorus, and sadly a lot of the songs seem to blend into one. But as a collective whole, it's a solid album that potentially has some replay value if you're into proper old school pop-punk.

7/10