With
2007's I Can't Go On, I'll Go On, L.A. foursome The Broken West presented itself as
a solid though unspectacular retro-leaning pop-rock outfit, sort of like
Fountains Of Wayne minus the snark. If The Broken West had continued down a
similar path for Now Or Heaven, drawing on the jangly classic rock that countless
other power-pop bands have recycled for decades, what was once pleasant likely would
have become a stylistic dead end. Thankfully, Now Or Heaven sounds more modern than
its predecessor—if a guitar-pop record can still be described as
modern—with programmed beats and synth washes subtly placed among chiming
six-strings and creamy choruses. More importantly, the songwriting is better
this time around, with sharp hooks that draw blood once they grab on. On the
stunning "Ambuscade," the record's highlight, driving guitars and bass slip and
slither beneath an airy feeling of deep melancholy only hinted at on the debut.
The Broken West once worked overtime to sound sunny, but Now Or Heaven suggests it was really
more of an autumnal band all along.