Broadcast Live: Boomerang Metropolis

Broadcast Live: Boomerang Metropolis The four-piece live hip hop group known as Broadcast Live self-released their sophomore effort, Boomerang Metropolis. Broadcast Live hail from upstate New York similar to another group who mixes indie rock and hip hop (the Gym Class Heroes). Besides their general location in the world and the mixing of two broad genres, Gym Class Heroes and Broadcast Live don't have much else in common. Broadcast Live really mixes a plethora of genres. "Felix Reyes" is essentially a latin love song; it is completely in Spanish and features mariachi acoustic guitars and bongos. "One Metaphor" is a rock song with spoken word sections that kind of reminds me of a cross between the Flobots and "The Gift" by the Velvet Underground. "Harry Potter is Black" sounds like a throw back post-hardcore track, similar to Black Flag or the Bad Brains. The band is most captivating when lead-vocalist Victorio Reyes is rapping. On these "hip hop" tracks, the group reminds me of Digable Planets. For some bands their versatility is their best attribute, but for Broadcast Live it is a liability. While they do a multitude of genres pretty well, sticking to one genre would be really helpful for them. The album has little to no flow because of the severe genre hopping. Rating: 4.6/10 MP3: Broadcast Live "Harry Potter is Black"