Broken Social Scene, the popular Toronto based collective returned in 2026 with their sixth album – Remember The Humans. Singer/multi-instrumentalist Kevin Drew still gets top billing, having written more than half the tracks. Starting the album off, “Not Around Anymore” brings airy horns that also appear on the midtempo “Hey Amanda”. Andrew Whiteman takes over for the frisky beats of “The Call”, Jill Harris’ background vocals add to the atmosphere, as she does on several tracks.
Like most BSS records, it’s when the girls takeover that things get exciting. Hannah Georgas brings early album highlight, “Only The Good I Keep”, singing about Julie Doiron and The Smashing Pumpkins. Frenzied drumbeats programmed by Lisa Lobsinger amp up the excitement on “Relief” as she sings, “lying on my lifeline, choking me up”.
Two of the best songs appear at the end – Leslie Feist on the atmospheric Americana of “What Happens Now” and Kevin Drew returns for the lovely “Parking Lot Dreams”. It’s been nine years since the group’s last album Hug of Thunder, here’s hoping that the next batch of songs arrive much sooner.
7.5/10
After a seven year hiatus, Toronto supergroup Broken Social Scene reconvened to record Hug of Thunder, their fifth release. “The gang is all here” is a most fitting expression for this as 18 musicians are credited on the album including all the usual bigger name suspects such as Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Emily Haines, Feist, etc. After a short instrumental the band hits the floor running with “Halfway Home” whereas the modern folk tinged “Skyline” sounds straight off a TV commercial that has people reaching for Shazam to figure out who sings it.
The Light Appears 