Front page photo by Norman Wong

Five years. That's a long time, and that's how long we've been waiting for a new Broken Social Scene album. But on May 4, they'll finally release the follow-up to 2005's self-titled affair, via Arts & Crafts. (It's out May 3 in Europe via City Slang/Cooperative Music.)

The new album's title? Forgiveness Rock Record. That busy-looking graphic you see above? That's the cover art. That Lala stream up there? Well, that's what you click on to hear "World Sick", the almost seven-minute epic that's also the first song they've let us hear from the album. (For a free download of "World Sick", enter your email into the widget we've embedded below the jump. It signs you up for future updates from the band, but you will have the option to unsubscribe.)

A few weeks ago, Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew told us all about the album, and there's a lot to tell. They've stripped down their once-sprawling lineup to a lean and mean six-member core, but many friends show up to contribute to the album, Wu-Tang style. Those hordes include Leslie Feist and members of Pavement, Metric, Stars, Do Make Say Think, the Sea and Cake, and Tortoise. Tortoise/Sea and Cake member John McEntire co-produced the whole shebang, which the band recorded in Chicago and Toronto last year.

Broken Social Scene:

03-14 Elkton, FL - Harvest of Hope

03-18 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ

03-19 Austin, TX - The Parish

05-01 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

05-03 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre

05-07 New York, NY - Webster Hall

05-13 London, England - Brixton Academy *

05-14 Minehead, England - All Tomorrow's Parties

05-17 London, England - Heaven

05-18 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg

05-19 Cologne, Germany - Burgerhaus Stollwerck

05-21 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie

05-23 Linz, Austria - LinzFest

05-24 Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus

05-27 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Festival

05-29 George, WA - Sasquatch

06-19 Toronto, Ontario - Toronto Island *#

with Pavement

with Band of Horses