thE.brOKen – “Left To Our Devices”

thE.brOKen – “Left To Our Devices” – Music Video Release/Review

I feel like I’ve been saying this for at least a couple weeks straight here at the homepage, but New Zealand is clearly where it’s at right now when it comes to music – I love what I’ve been hearing coming from that entire region this year and certainly welcome more of it with open arms.  Technically, thE.brOKen released their single “Left To Our Devices” last year in the summertime; but hey, when a song is new to ya, it’s new to ya – doesn’t matter when you hear it right?  There’s never a bad time to put your music out there…at least not as far as I can tell.  I just want to hear more music, however I can get it; and if that means we’re a year behind New Zealand right now, I’d consider that an honor, because lately it sure seems like they’re light-years ahead of the rest of us when it comes to the music I’ve heard.

Consider thE.brOKen a part of all that for sure – this crew writes a solid tune.  From what I’ve read, seen, and heard – I dig what they’ve got going on, right down to the blurb about them on their post for “Left To Our Devices” that will tell ya they ‘released material whenever time allows.’  While that certainly implies that the core members of Justin Maclaren, Simon Finnel, and Pearl Runga likely have other things in life that demand their time & attention as well – it also suggest that they’d keep coming back to the music they make because they genuinely WANT to.  As I’ve said many times – that matters to us, as listeners…that passion for the art, be it part-time or full-time, is something we can always hear.

“Left To Our Devices” is definitely my kind of jam, I’m not just blowing smoke here.  thE.brOKen have done an exceptional job of mixing a modern-day synth vibe with a more classic approach to the post-punk sound adding that brilliant infusion of melancholy-melody to the atmosphere.  The results put it somewhere between that Depeche Mode sound you know & love with something a bit more endearing & fully electro-based like you’d hear from Styrofoam.  Or you could even look at this like a more chilled out version of something like Imagine Dragons…it’s not too far removed from that arm of music; there’s still an epic sound at work here & that sing-along factor that comes through the smart hooks of the chorus that has a similar all-encompassing magic to it.  What I liked about thE.brOKen a lot was that they weren’t too much of any of these comparisons at all really…you can find the odd thing that’ll remind you of each perhaps – but for the most part, there’s a strong identity at work here.  One that certainly helps you understand what would continue to pull Justin, Simon, and Pearl back to thE.brOKen whenever they’ve got the time to do so; I know I would – they sound great on this single!  The pace is fantastic, the sound selection is awesome, and both of these important aspects complement the other…essentially, you get to spend quality time with this idea at the tempo they’ve got on “Left To Our Devices” and with the clarity they’ve got in the recording of this tune combined with the vibrantly textured sounds they use, there’s no question it’s time well spent.  Vocals-wise, I think they’ve got great things happening there as well; I think the tone is great, but it’s the delivery that makes it greater when it comes to this single…you’ve got an energy that authentically matches the vibe of the music and mood of the lyricism spot-on.  I dig that the lead comes out with a more low-key approach, still retains that sweetness in the melody strongly, and that the backup vocals come in with a seriously awesome assist to make the moment even bigger by how they contribute.  The entire cut has a real pensive sound…tense as it is subtle, powerful as it is chill – and ultimately, “Left To Our Devices” is just as thought-provoking as it is designed to stir your emotions.  You connect to a song like this…quite easily in my opinion…thE.brOKen have a mid-tempo but single-worthy tune here, which is arguably one of the truly hardest things to accomplish out there in any genre or style of music – so kudos to them all for a job really well done.  “Left To Our Devices” is hypnotically captivating in all the right ways…and while you’re locked into the sound of this song, it’ll make you THINK & FEEL something too.  That’s excellent songwriting at work…when a cut can reach you on multiple levels like this tune does; an aspect of thE.brOKen that likely stems from their years spent making music together – they’ve really found a sound, style, and approach that’s well-suited for them & they’ve got a solid single here.

Find more music & videos by thE.brOKen at their official channel at YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1kco70DczKqwCjh-Lv3gA

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