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BRKN LOVE
The Program
Spinefarm Records

"You can't tell the spectators from the performers without the program!"

A Bugs Bunny quote might not be the best segue into this review.

And yet, when it comes to being fueled by raw energy and unfiltered emotion, there is no perfect metaphor to otherwise describe the rustic carefree approach of BRKN LOVE - and, specifically, their third studio album titled The Program. Since their formation just under a decade ago, the Toronto-based band have set the rulebook on fire, plug in, turn up, and churn out the kind of rock 'n roll that makes you feel a little freer. Their gritty riffs pack enough punch to shake any stage, while the grooves quake with the right amount of hip-swinging gusto. Led by vocalist and guitarist Justin Benlolo, the music drips swagger, soul, and spirit amplified by arena-size hooks and intriguingly inventive musicality. And their upcoming effort The Program looks to continue that same approach.

It's an album that's quite a sonic and literal trip. Inspired by an impromptu 2023 trip to visit a friend in Charleston, SC, Justin initially planned on spending a weekend in town. That weekend turned into nine weeks, and he returned to Toronto with the bulk of the album's material. "I didn't have anything else to do, so I brought all of my gear and studio equipment," he recalls. "I was so inspired by the environment and the friends I made. It's a big city, but it's not huge. It's just beautiful though. The experience inspired the whole record. Instead of being so picturesque and metaphorical, I told stories."

The album title even referenced the name of the text group for his new friends in Charleston, embedding the experience and the city in the fabric of the music. The vision had already crystallized before he left to Los Angeles where he recorded with longtime producer Anton DeLost (CLEOPATRICK, THE WARNING, STATE CHAMPS, DEAD POET SOCIETY). These friends and a variety of other characters he met would ultimately inspire the concept at the heart of The Program. "It was a collective of 10 people I'd never met before, and we kept using the term 'The Program' repeatedly like, 'Let's go here, because it would be good for The Program'," he further elaborates, "It was cool to be surrounded by near-complete strangers, invite them to our place, and play demos. Their opinions were unfiltered and blunt - which was awesome. I was actively searching for inspiration, and I put myself out there in different situations. I was free and unchained to do anything."

The unchained inspiration seems to have helped The Program's overall flow - especially with some of the talent being displayed on the album throughout. The energetic opener "2020 Vision" starts the album off with a wild frenetic aura, mostly due to the collaboration of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE bassist Michael Shuman. With his heavy bass grooves and Justin's wild riffs roll like a runaway train into a chantable chorus, "I know you're always coming and I can't escape it now, 2020 vision, creeping in", the song's rustic bluntness sets the rest of the album's tone. "Mikey is a great fucking dude," Justin smiles, "He picked up a bass and started playing this wicked bassline. It ended up driving the song. From there, we came up with the whole progression in 15 minutes. It's about reminiscing and being nostalgic for a relationship. You're thinking it was much better than it was, but there's a reason why you're not in it anymore. It definitely sets the tone for the record."

"Rear View Mirror" and "Diamonds" also benefit from a similar science. Then the album gets even more interesting thanks to the seasick distortion groaning over a steady beat on "Unholy". In a chantable cadence about an unprepared romance, he laments, "I know I've got crimson hands, and I can't wash you off of them." Then, there's "Callous" with its catchy handclaps underlining a punchy stomp as he predicts, "Think I'm headed for a breakdown." Meanwhile, "Cruel" hinges on a simmering beat as his woozy cadence melts into high register harmonies, climaxing on the chorus, "How did you get so cruel?" as it tells a story of serious psychological mistreatment from the rare perspective of the male partner. "Shades Of You" struts towards another soaring refrain as it makes a subtle callback to a BRKN LOVE staple. "It's essentially "Like A Drug Part 2"," Justin notes, "It's about a girl who can't make up her mind. With the groove riff, shredding guitar solo, and double-time at the end, it's the quintessential BRKN LOVE song." And, finally, Justin's voice swoons throughout the icy and infectious finale "Shiver". As the groove throbs continuously, his voice rings out, "You make me shiver!". "It's cathartic," he observes. "You're letting go, breaking free, trying to get yourself on your feet, standing up and conquering. It's the closer for a reason. You're going through all of the emotions and trying to be better. Finally, you're taking accountability, but you're also getting over it."

Ultimately, the band make an impact by being BRKN LOVE and the band name, for those in the midst of discovering their catalogue, makes perfect sense, while The Program is the perfect soundtrack for navigating one's relationship goals despite the odd wrong left turn at Albuquerque.

4.5 Out Of 5.0

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