You’ve got to hand it to Angel Air Records. Renowned for reissuing often obscure pop and rock albums from the 1960s and 1970s, the independent UK-based label also issues new releases by both vintage and new bands.
Such is the case with Broken Home, which formed from the ashes of Mr. Big (the British pop-rockers, not the American hard rockers), and released two albums in the 1980s. Fragments, the third release from Broken Home, sounds neither fragmented nor broke. Led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Pain (better known as “Dicken”), Broken Home evokes the less complicated days of AOR-tinged rock. The band effortlessly harmonizes on memorable tracks such as “When You’re Young” and “Spirit,” while elsewhere Broken Home indulges in an old-school sound that brings to mind The Who, solo Paul McCartney and even Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Don’t listen to Fragments expecting to hear anything you haven’t heard before, but sometimes that’s the beauty of discovering new music. The familiarity of the unknown can make all the difference.
Track Listing:
1. When You’re Young
2. Rebel Children
3. Fan the Flame
4. Spirit
5. Ship Without a Sail
6. New Adventure
7. Summer It Won’t Be Long
8. Lovely Ann
9. Abraham
10. Turn All Your Troubles Into Highways
11) I Can See the Rain
12) I’ll Be Yours
13) Danger
14) Been A Long Time War