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53. Broken Bells - Broken Bells (2010)

Alternative

Broken Bells may be proof that super groups of even the most accomplished musicians can achieve both success and longevity by simply limiting their membership. Comprised of iconic producer Danger Mouse and The Shins frontman James Mercer, the duo arrived on the scene in 2010 with their self-titled debut album. After experiencing massive success working with Gorillaz, The Black Keys and as a member of Gnarls Barkley, with Broken Bells, Danger Mouse had a blank canvas at his disposal and a talented partner to create with. His production on the album is intricate, dense in places and sparse in others, all perfectly accentuating Mercer’s trademark falsetto.

Bolstered by the unsurprising success of ultra-catchy singles “The High Road” and “The Ghost Inside”, the album ended up earning the duo a Grammy nomination, though they would eventually lose, ironically, to another Danger Mouse project, “Brothers” by The Black Keys. Many tracks on the album have sleepy qualities, scaffolded by vaguely electronic beats and grandiose string melodies. “Sailing to Nowhere” has a decidedly old-timey feel, with a piano- and string-heavy arrangement harkening back to the 1920s. Unlike many other high-profile side ventures from accomplished musicians, Broken Bells’ 2014 follow-up, “After the Disco” and several subsequent singles have proven that they’ll likely continue to make waves in the alternative space well into the 2020s.

*image; cover art for the album Broken Bells by the artist Broken Bells