On paper Broken Bells, a team-up of  Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse and James Mercer of the indie rock band The Shins, sounds pretty damned inspiring.

On CD the results are pretty damned inspiring, too.

Although you’d be hard pressed to find a ‘single’ on their eponymous debut album, Mercer’s upbeat vocals and luscious guitar melodies rub up nicely against Burton’s sparse percussion, fizzing synths and unique production smarts.

4/5

ALISON GRINTER

 

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mkr19RSG6k]