The New Pornographers

For once I didn't discover a band through Pandora. The New Pornographers were introduced to me by a friend years ago. The album was Mass Romantic and it changed the way I live my life. OK, that's a bit of an overstatement, but this Canadian supergroup touched my soul in the way only the gentlest of lovers could. OK, that's, also, a bit of an overstatement; I'm not real good with non-hyperbole. The point is that the album is great and it started me on a very pleasant journey. The title track opens the album and sets a delightful tone. The vocals of Neko Case are sublime and are complimented by the backing vocals of Carl Newman. Many of the members provide vocals throughout the album. Letter From an Occupant also features Ms. Case on lead vocals to excellent effect. I'm a big fan of female vocals. However, her absence from lead vocal duties on the remainder of the album in no way diminish the album.

Remember how I referred to them as a supergroup? No, are you sure? Maybe you should reread the first half of the first paragraph. OK. Legend has it that the group started as a side project for Carl Newman or maybe just something to do after the release of his band Zumpano's sophmore effort. Then, in a rather organic fashion, the rest of the members joined the fold. They were all involved in the Vancouver music scene and it just sort of happened. It was awhile before there was any stability to the band with members coming and going. Regardless after three years they released Mass Romantic.

The follow up album Electric Version was released in 2003 despite the labile nature of the band. No worries of a sophomore slump here. For me, the signature song on the album is The Laws Have Changed. It's a wonderful, twirling mixture of Neko Case and Carl Newman, an organ, a great beat, and a hook. It gets me every time. The New Face of Zero and One is another gem that employs a combo of Neko and Carl. Carl takes the lead with Neko providing transcendent harmonies. Both of these songs rate very highly on the sing-along scale or the make me want to dance scale. Although, I have to admit I don't think I like It's Only Divine Right. It's ok, though I don't have to like everything they do. That's your job. I'm going to stir some soup.

Twin Cinema is the first New Pornographers album that I anticipated. I was introduced to Mass Romantic after Electric Version had already come out and so I got to know the albums together and never really separated them until Twin Cinema entered my life. For some reason it's existence compelled me to go back and appreciate the two as separate entities. I think that's a deficit of the electronic format of music, it's easy to have songs be blurred together with nothing tethering them to the solid world. Before I just had a New Pornographers playlist on my iPod and would hear them willy nilly. That's all fine and well for sheep, but what are we to do? By which I mean listening to them in the context of the album provided additional meaning and pleasure. Sing Me Spanish Techno, I think, is the biggest hit on the album or maybe it's just the song that I unintentionally encounter most frequently. Is anyone still reading? I realize that I don't know this album as well as I know the others. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe. Or maybe it's the voices in my head that make me a bad person. Actually, I would argue that it's acting upon the suggestions/request of the voices in my head that makes me a bad person. I guess it all boils down to what makes a man his thoughts or his actions. For a quick read on the subject I recommend The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky.

OK breaking from the digressions, we approach the latest release of NP entitled Challengers. I don't know what anyone else is saying, but I think it's amazing. It's their best effort to date. OK to attach a link to the Challengers back there I looked at the review on AMG and they like it, too. They call it a grower, which means if you had water it gets bigger. No. It means that the album grows on you, like a fungus or a melanoma. The first time I listened to it, I knew I would like it, but I don't think I can say I immediately liked it. This isn't a bad thing. Some of my favorite albums, like Dino's, The Way I am featuring the smash-hit Tongue Kiss, took a few listens to get into. I know sarcasm doesn't always come across in writing or perhaps I should say one needs to be a good writer in order to convery sarcasm and I am not a good writer, but I was kidding about Dino. I guess getting the joke would requrie knowledge of Dino, something very few people have. Anyway, back to the awesomeness that is Challengers. I also agree with the assertion of Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AMG that the album is slower and more introspective. None-the-less it rates very highly on my sing-along scale. To hold true to form, I'll mention two songs that I really like on the album. Ready? Here they come. They are Challengers and Failsafe. Other much more capable writers have written about them, so I'll just mention them. OK then. Up Next... Maria Taylor