Optimism in E Minor

There is a reason I waited so long to review the Broken Poets’ most recent album, Optimism in E Minor. While the album offers a slightly less banal form of contemporary adult rock, its instrumentation and lyrics leave something to be desired.

As producer and front man of the band, Tim McDonald seems to have forgotten the beauty of simplicity. The songs are lyric-centric, but instead of poetry, the lyrics I hear are affected and hollow. Unfortunately, even the instrumentation is excessive and gratuitous. The few characteristics which distinguish the Broken Poets from all the other commercial contemporary rock bands are sadly drowned out by McDonald’s overbearing presence on this album. I had hoped to hear more from classically trained pianist and vocalist Svetlana Antropova, but her potentially unique contribution is for the most part, misapplied and wasted. While contemporary adult rock is certainly not my cup of tea, I could see how listeners of this genre might enjoy Optimism in E minor. However, I hope they would recognize the ostentatious nature of this album.

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