Band names, as any music geek knows, can telegraph a group’s style more effectively than reams of lyrics. But they also have the ability to transcend the songs, becoming rallying points for fans and detractors, or shorthand for genres that resist description.
Los Angeles quartet the Broken West got lucky when a cease-and-desist order made it change its name from the Brokedown in 2006. The new moniker actually enhanced the appealing tension between the group’s sunny melodies and occasionally grave lyrics — one that has only become more apparent with its latest release on respected indie label Merge Records.
“The feedback I’ve been getting from people is that it’s a lot different than the last one, which in a way is scaring me,” said singer-guitarist Ross Flournoy over the phone from L.A. “We didn’t feel like it was aesthetically different when we were making it, but it is a lot less jangly and ’60s-inspired than the first one.”
Whereas the Broken West’s 2007 debut full-length, “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On,” cribbed from power-pop and country rock titans (think the Kinks and Big Star cut with bits of Wilco and Spoon), “Now or Heaven” affects a steelier pose, emphasizing rhythms and taut harmonies over chiming tones and jaunty riffs. It’s a deeper, more resolute sound that seems less affected by the prevailing winds of hipster musical tastes.
“Rhythm was sort of the guiding ethos of this record,” Flournoy said. “Which isn’t to say that everything’s dance-y, but a lot more attention was paid to the rhythm section, whereas on the first record we didn’t really think about it much. There wasn’t much sweating over, ‘How can we make these drums more captivating or interesting?’ ”
The band’s newfound emphasis will be on display at the Hi-Dive on Tuesday when it celebrates the release of its latest album by kicking off its North American tour in Denver. Flournoy said the rigors and rewards of the road helped inspire the slightly more world-weary tone of the new album.
“I’d never want to portray us as being a bunch of whiners, because every day we’re so grateful to play,” he said. “But none of us were prepared for the hand-to-mouth nature of touring. Before we started there was a sense of adventure, but we were quickly disappointed as it ground along, trying to maintain all these relationships at home. I’m sure every band would attest to this, but everything else other than playing a show became kind of a drag.”
Of course, most bands aren’t lucky enough to play with some of the names the Broken West did, including Fountains of Wayne, the Walkmen and the National. The percussive leanings of the last two, in particular, heavily affected Flournoy and his bandmates.
“They’re both sort of propelled by the drummer,” he said. “Just seeing those guys play every night got us really fired up and intrigued about trying to spend more time and consideration in the way rhythm would factor into the songs.”
Upbeat, pulsating tracks on “Now and Heaven,” such as “Perfect Games” and “Auctioneer,” certainly deliver the melodic goods the Broken West’s burgeoning reputation promises. But “House of Lies” and “Embassy Row” reveal a more mature act content to sit back and let a fantastically constructed song do the heavy lifting — instead of earnest vocals, flashy riffs and effects-pedal fireworks.
But does the Broken West’s name live up to the alternately blinding brightness and soul-crushing pain of its famously weird hometown?
“This might sound sort of narrow minded, but the thing I love about L.A. is that if you find a neighborhood that you like, you can plant roots there and keep everything in that neighborhood,” said Flournoy, who spends most of his time in Silver Lake and Echo Park.
Those roots, it seems, are starting to break through to deeper ground.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com
The Broken West
Indie rock. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, with Centro-matic, South San Gabriel. Tuesday. 9 p.m. $8-$10. 720-570-4500 or hi-dive.com.
