Broken West
What comes after the pop? The Broken West's answer: soul-searching, taking stock, and more pop, thank goodness! Following up their exuberant 2007 debut, I Can't Go On, I'll Go On, the LA four-piece's second disc is Now or Heaven, a title whose punning ultimatum points to the record's skewed, more reflective tone. Can't begrudge them for being moody after all that touring, especially because their songwriting remains top-shelf—"House of Lies", for instance, is a pulsing gem that bridges classicist power-pop sensibilities with a grand swell of infectious uncertainty. MICHAEL HARKIN
