photo by Jeffrey Pirozzi (Roze Photography); photo courtesy of Best Not Broken

The Backstory Behind This Review

You know, one of the neat things I’ve been doing lately is proactively discovering great local music again. I get so much unsolicited material in my overflowing inbox that it’s easy to fill the blog with amazing music that just shows up in my inbox. And yes, I discover some amazing music that way, but last fall I decided to reach out to several of the bands that blew me away when I was sampling music from the New England Music Awards nominees, and I’m finally reaching those reviews in my queue. I reached out to bands like Eddie Japan, Major Moment, and Best Not Broken, leading to reviews of three of my favorite new albums this past year. It’s not like they’re new bands, either – Eddie Japan and Best Not Broken have been releasing kickass music for a decade. Even so, because of my huge backlog of music awaiting review, I only reached out to a few of the great bands I discovered this fall. My NEMA vote for Best New Band, for example, went to All Sinners, and I haven’t tried to get in touch with them yet. I’ve also started increasingly reaching out to other artists I dig, not just in-region, further lengthening my playlist. So much great music, so little time.

But that’s enough backstory; you’re here to read my Best Not Broken review, so I’ll delay it no longer. Without further ado…

EP Review of Best Not Broken: If It Feels Right

Best Not Broken is a versatile rock band, infusing a fresh enthusiasm into its brand of timeless, pop-friendly rock ‘n roll. The band’s music is varied and fun, keeping things interesting in the mid-range pop-rock lane of the rock ‘n roll highway. If I had to name comparables – or, rather, bands you’ll probably also like, since none really sound completely like Best Not Broken – I’d probably suggest Smash Mouth, Bowling For Soup, Weezer, and the All-American Rejects.

image courtesy of Best Not Broken

If It Feels Right opens with a sure-fire good-time hit, “I Don’t Belong.” The video certainly is fun! So much so that it earned a “Video of the Year” nomination for the 2023 New England Music Awards. The audio is heavy on the rhythm, tunefulness, and singalongability. My favorite lyric? The much-delayed final word of the phrase “I don’t belong… here.”

The next song, “Human Emotion” just made its radio debut this week, on Tuesday. It’s nearly as catchy as “I Don’t Belong” – an impressive feat! – but it flows through its prominent beats with an almost crooning vibe in its verse’s vocals and cool lyrics like “Can’t stop human emotion. We all got something that’s broken. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re all messed up, and it kind of reminds me of me.” Sense a theme? Playfulness and cheerfulness about not being perfect or, in “I Don’t Belong,” not fitting in. So, yeah, catchy af music and the kind of songs that’ll make you feel good, even when you’re inclined not to.

“That’s the Way She Likes It” is probably the smoothest pop-rock song in this collection, not balladic yet sporting a soft touch. It’s uniquely original, of course, and expresses dysfunctional shyness, but it’s still kind of sweet.

“Lying Awake” starts slow and builds, reaching singalong status with a thumping beat and the rhythmic line “shouldn’t’ve stayed up, shouldn’t’ve stayed up.” Best Not Broken does a good job of keeping the instrument mix simple, but I feel like I’m oversimplifying this song’s appeal. For example, musicians and detail-oriented music fans will appreciate the supporting instrumentation on “Lying Awake,” notably noticing some of the background guitar lines that add variety to the music bed.

Finally, “Low Lights” closes the disc, dare I say, with another hook-filled entry, propelled by a reggae-influenced rock ‘n roll rhythm.

So that’s four hooky songs and another sweetly enjoyable one on a 5-song EP. Leave ’em wanting more, I guess, eh?

photo by Jeffrey Pirozzi (Roze Photography); photo courtesy of Best Not Broken

Looking Back

Best Not Broken has been doing this for a while, which is to say they’ve been releasing quality, fun pop-rock songs with a playful edge for a decade now. Some of my favorites among their older songs include “What the Night Has Left” (and not just because of its cool video with Boston residents dancing in the subway), the playful “Brain,” and the energetically hopeful “I Won’t Stop Loving You.” If this is your first exposure to Best Not Broken, be sure to also explore the band’s back catalog.

Looking Ahead

You can keep up Best Not Broken’s live performances on the “Events” tab on its Facebook page or via the band’s Bandsintown listing. Well, in theory, at least. Neither currently lists any upcoming shows, but check back periodically to see new dates as they’re added.