Bronto,
the Hidden Cameras' first album in nine years, is a wild deviation from its predecessor, though not an unexpected one. If anything, 2016's
Home on Native Land was an overt and rather pleasing throwback to the project's earlier days, framing
Joel Gibb's joyous queercore sound through lush folk-pop and countrified arrangements, assisted by a panel of mostly Canadian guests. The sleeker, club-inspired
Bronto feels like a logical evolution for
Gibb, a Toronto native who has called Berlin home since the early 2010s. Self-described as a meta-dance-pop album,
Bronto not only pays homage to Berlin-as-muse (think
David Bowie,
Lou Reed, and
Iggy Pop), but to the galvanizing influence of nightclubs as central hubs for liberation, resistance, and activism within the gay community. Instrumentally, it's
the Hidden Cameras' least organic collection, built with crisp electronic beats and pulsing sequencers, over which
Gibb's effortless voice floats like a soothing balm. The standout "Undertow" throbs with longing, unpacking a past love affair with a sense of yearning nostalgia. Its radiant chorus is classic
Gibb, pure warm melody offsetting the cool synth tones. Similarly, the infectious "You Can Call" is posed as a mock Eurovision entry, a buoyant singalong of inclusivity and hope set to a vibrant rhythm. Returning collaborator
Owen Pallett wraps a velvety string arrangement around the bittersweet closer, "Don't Tell Me That You Love Me," a unique hybrid of their chamber pop and electro styles. He gets moody too -- there's the relentless dark thump of the house anthem "Quantify" and the seductive "Brontosaurus Law."
Gibb also offers a pair of cinematic instrumental cuts ("Full Cycle" and the mostly vocal-less "Wie Wild") that amp up the drama. There have been hints of this direction scattered throughout the band's catalog, most notably on 2014's
Age --
Gibb's first Berlin-era release -- but it's interesting to hear him commit so fully to one genre of music. Fortunately, it's a natural fit, and like every other
Hidden Cameras release, he bends it to his unique will. ~ Timothy Monger
