NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - Together

I can already picture them all lining up to criticize the New Pornographers' return, all ready to say how much better and unrepeatable "Twin Cinema" was, how "Challengers" was, all things considered, a decent effort too, not to mention those who'll even go dig up the unsurpassed goodness of their debut "Mass Romantic".

Plenty will start claiming that the Canadian scene has run out of steam, and that Neko Case herself has already shown more than enough of her limits on her own lackluster solo albums.

To all these people I extend the invitation to start listening to "Together" from track number 2 of "Together", to which I'd have no problem awarding the title of single of the summer 2010. It's called "Crash Years" and shows a band in top form, able to pull an irresistible single out of the hat, with the voice of the lovely Neko as sharp as ever. And it's only one of twelve impeccable performances on a record that marks one of the most welcome confirmations on the contemporary international music scene.

Certainly the fact that many hands contribute to the songwriting is an important plus, making each of the Canadians' records a kind of greatest hits: you get the feeling the writers save the best of their compositions for New Pornographers albums, leaving the leftovers for their respective side projects, which are nonetheless absolutely worthwhile and respectable.

Starting with the title, the record seems to want to confirm the solid bond among the members of this sort of Vancouver supergroup.

The ingredients are the usual ones: a successful mix of the contagious sunniness of the compositions penned by leader A.C. Newman (the opening "Moves", "Up In The Dark"), the Bowie-isms of Dan Bejar ("Silver Jenny Dollar") and the sublime touches of Neko Case, who deserves, years on, to pick up the crown of another queen of less obvious pop: Stevie Nicks.

Among other things, Case shines not only when performing as lead singer ("My Shepard"), but also when she counterpoints her bandmates' voices, a phenomenon most evident on "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk", but also recurring, for instance, on "Valkyrie In The Roller Disco" and on the closing, choral "We End Up Together".

The tracks on offer are all enjoyable and compelling, perfect for summer listening. Superb power pop songs (among the best to be found on the market) and engaging ballads chase one another at a frantic pace, all wrapped up in a skillful and convincing alternative approach that makes the final result appealing both to the now-numerous indie crowd and to the more general ears of the mainstream audience.

Perhaps not the whole album reaches levels of absolute excellence (see "A Bite Out Of My Bed", a touch below par), but college kids across the pond will once again appreciate the band's knack for crafting wonderful instant hits.

It's increasingly clear that "Twin Cinema" remains their definitive record, but "Together" marks a decisive turnaround from the (unjustly too harshly) criticized "Challengers", which had seemed to foreshadow the inexorable decline of these gods of alt-pop.

The New Pornographers today confirm themselves as the most worthy heirs to the American pop dream of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" era.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

19/05/2010