Broadcast Pendulum EP (Warp) Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
A teaser for their forthcoming Ha Ha Sound album, Broadcast continue with the melodic blips and bleeps that once had them dismissed as Stereolab-lite. Pendulum’s six tracks are split evenly between retro space pop and more abstract sound collages. The former use whooshing noises, blurping synths and Trish Keenan’s bored monotone to intriguing effect. It’s the more dramatic instrumental tracks like the clattering, fabulously named Violent Playground that seem more than just a thumb through the Duophonic back catalogue. Neither is particularly original, but at least the soundscapes have an edge to them.
If Broadcast are smart, this is the sort of stuff they’ll focus on tonight (Thursday, May 15) at Lee’s Palace.
