James Mercer and Danger Mouse are returning to their Broken Bells "super-duo" after spending a few years at their day jobs. Mercer, the vocalist and a guitarist for rockers The Shins, and Danger Mouse, producer and drummer, released a teaser video for a new Broken Bells album on October 8.
The record, titled After The Disco, is scheduled to drop in January 2014, and the snippet suggests a musical style in line with the album's title. The video shows Mercer and Mouse chilling in a space-age abode while the desert around them trembles to the bass blasts. Mercer hits Bee Gees falsetto levels while repeating the catchphrase "you're holding on for life," and Mouse provides light drums and a synthesizer melody to complete the vibe. The group didn't give an indication of the song's title, aside from the lyrics.
Broken Bells last released a full-length in 2011 with its self-titled debut. After releasing the Meyrin Fields EP during 2011, Mercer went back to The Shins to release 2012's Port of Morrow, and Danger Mouse produced several albums, including The Black Keys' El Camino and Jack White's spaghetti western project Rome. The duo had previously announced its intentions of recording a follow-up album, but fans were in the lurch until 2013.
If the rest of the album carries the same disco themes as the audio from the video below, Broken Bells could have a hit on its hands. Daft Punk's hit single "Get Lucky," as well as the entire album Random Access Memories, has proven that the form is making a comeback in dance clubs. Broken Bells won't release a dance album, but the same audience demographic that enjoys Daft Punk would certainly go for Bells as well.
