Rarely does a gem shine out from the dull ground of contemporary electronica, but when one does it should be treasured. Such is "Ha Ha Sound," Broadcast's second album.
The '60s have clearly had an influence on Broadcast that extends beyond the group's fondness for turtleneck sweaters. Eulogizing The Velvet Underground, they erect a screen of noise and guitar feedback as a foil for the cool, fragile vocals of singer Trish, while their confessed love of often bizarre European library music (stock music for film/TV use) helps explain the presence of the quirky instrumental passages.
Their sonic turbulence, however, recalls nothing so much as psychedelia. In particular, the ghost of Pink Floyd raises its acid-addled head on several occasions, from the soft acoustic guitars carrying Trish's whispered invitation to "Lay down your dreams on my pillow," on the lullaby "Valerie," to the energetic freak-out of "Pendulum," a paean to hypnosis. The surreal workings of the mind and the illusory nature of reality and time are some of the recurring themes explored in the half-told stories on "Ha-Ha Sound."