Austrian indie artist Mary Broadcast and her band have established a solid reputation as a superb and balanced vehicle for her lyrics. The release Panic, however, elevates her art to an even higher level than she’s known thanks to its impressive scope. She chronicles, over the course of six songs, the trajectory of an intense romantic relationship, a miscarriage, and her attempts to withstand its aftermath.
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It’s a testament to the songwriting skills of everyone involved that such weighty fare proves to be so entertaining and enlightening. The added bonus of six short films, one for each song, is far more than some novel gimmick. Broadcast recruited two five-star actors to portray her brief but dramatic piece and they fully involve themselves in the process. She’s achieved notoriety in Europe and elsewhere, without question, but Panic deserves to be heard, and seen, by the widest possible audience.
She doesn’t ease listeners into the process. “Panic” begins the EP in an uncompromising fashion, never flinching from its emotional material, but the arrangement is high-powered. Broadcast and her creative partners craft and perform a sleek, tailored composition that hums along from beginning to end. They are working in a rock mold, but it’s a distinctly modern take on the form. Listeners are in recognizable terrain, nonetheless, but it’s charged with unmistakable freshness.
You’ll get the same jolt, as well, from the second track “Zone 4”. Many listeners will be taken with the contrast between the song’s fat bass pulse and lighter touches such as the piano introducing the track. It’s a hard-hitting follow-up to the opener that elaborates on its sonic direction without ever veering off-course. The intimacy of Clara Diem’s performance during the song’s short film is, for me, one of the release’s peak moments.
“Bastille” will be a favorite for many. It’s an oasis of sorts on the EP that rejoices in the redemptive bonds of love, but Broadcast can’t resist tempering it with a clear-eyed recognition of differences. The music sweeps listeners up. Broadcast and second guitarist Jimi Dolezal form an impressive musical team here and elsewhere, but Andreas Senn’s drumming gives the song an undeniable identity.
The opening line is so good. “I ambushed your heart, you arose from the dark side” ushers listeners into the speaker’s world with poetic directness. The exhortative simplicity of “Sing It”, however, is every bit as effective. She doesn’t waste much effort with poetry in the words, but they are nonetheless more than sufficient for this impassioned outcry.
“Aver” brings the curtain down. It’s a memorable closer that doesn’t cheat listeners of any drama – it brings us to the center of her protagonist’s trauma. It isn’t a dire listening exercise, however. You finish Panic with the clear sense that Broadcast’s speaker will continue, forever changed by the experience’s she’s endured, but stronger having survived such travails. Panic is an extraordinary songwriting and film document well worth seeking out. It’s arguably Mary Broadcast’s finest work yet and she shows no signs of slowing down.
Claire Uebelacker