After the Disco is the kind of album that will always be underrated because it pays less attention to novelty than craftsmanship. With the new album, Broken Bells did not aim to revolutionize music, but seemed to aim for the modest and respectable goal of providing enjoyment through a collection of pop songs. At this goal, they succeeded overwhelmingly.
After the Disco does not sound particularly like James Mercer’s main group, The Shins, but more like a conglomeration of modern-day alternative rock. In fact, the influences of many of the groups that Danger Mouse has worked with are present throughout the album. The song “Angel and the Fool” is a ballad that sounds like it could have come out of Jack White’s catalogue, while the opening riff to “Leave It Alone” bears a strong resemblance to that of “Little Black Submarines” by The Black Keys.
The album also draws many influences from the past, including the era after which it is titled. The song “Holding on for Life” pays homage to the Bee Gees. It begins with a verse that feels like it could have been taken from a Shins song before erupting into a falsetto chorus of “Holding on for life/ holding on for life/ holding on for love.” It is a bold move to imitate one of the more mocked eras of music, but Broken Bells manages to pull it off in a way that seems fresh and fun. The title track is decidedly influenced by disco, featuring a powerful repetitive rhythm throughout the song.
The theme of After the Disco is that great equalizer: time. Here, the “disco” is used as a metaphor for those brief periods of pure bliss without consequence. For James Mercer, it seems, the “disco” is his time as the front man of a popular indie rock band. “After the Disco” comes the realization that these times are over, and the process of dealing with the banality of ordinary life. In the song “No Matter What You’re Told,” James Mercer has a conversation with himself, advising himself to stay modest and not to get sucked up in fame. For example, he tells himself, “The ego is playing tricks on you again.” Mercer is simultaneously self-aware that he may be living on unsustainable popularity, yet also enamored by his fame. He sings, “I don’t wanna be there when you hit the ground.”
In other songs, Mercer focuses on other people who are victims of living in the past. For example, “Holding on for Life” dwells on a girl who never abandoned the party life and is now a prostitute. The title track has a similar theme, although it focuses on a relationship that is no longer fresh. Mercer sings, “But after the disco/ all of the shine just faded away.”
Ultimately, Mercer and Burton embody the ideas they preach. Instead of getting caught up in the fame and trying to create an over-the-top album that shocks their audience, they created a brilliant pop album that maximizes their talents. The album is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, and there is not a single song that should be skipped.