Artist: Broken BellsAlbum: Self-titledRelease date: March 9Rating (Skip, Stream, or Buy): StreamDownload:

“The High Road”The good news: track one is fabulous. “The High Road” starts off with video-game blips and glitches before breaking into a smooth groove complete with sharp piano riffs and a thumpin’ bass line. James Mercer’s voice – wailing, stretchy and striking – has never sounded so great, and the swell of backing vocals makes the song expansive and celestial. The bad news is basically everything else. “The Ghost Inside” at least takes an interesting direction with its claps-based rhythm and squeaky vocals – but Broken Bells lopes along at a mid-tempo, unchanging pace. We’ve come to expect more from Danger Mouse, the guy who mashed up “99 Problems” with “Helter Skelter.” Was I the only one who thought this collaboration was going to be more exciting? If you’d told me that these were the B-sides to Wincing The Night Away, I would have been none the wiser.