New Pornographers

sleepy jack · 06-14-2007, 06:17 PM

New album leaked

sleepy jack · 06-15-2007, 01:19 AM

This is very different from their other stuff, less power pop more harmonic? I don't know. I like it alot better but thats probably because this appeals to my taste more. They're going to get the whole sell out label for going in a different direction most likely.

All The Old Showstoppers seriously reminds me of Modest Mouse. I think I like My Rights Versus Yours best but I think thats because its the most familiar.

thisisdanni · 06-15-2007, 03:35 AM

i'm gutted it's apparently less power pop. i love their earlier albums the best.
i'll have to check out this new album though!

IndieShotYou · 07-01-2007, 12:41 PM

The Buy Now, Get Early scheme worked out really well for Matador because this album is one helluva listen even though it's slower and not as uplifting as their other work... Challengers is just as catchy and graceful.

Jonz · 07-01-2007, 06:35 PM

Yep, I'm loving it after a few listens. Like you said, it's different to their previous albums, but variety is always good. To me, it won't matter what direction they take - the voices of Carl, Neko, and Kathryn will always be welcome to my ears. Great album!

jackhammer · 07-01-2007, 07:14 PM

I have a couple of tracks by them and like them, but have never seeked out any of their albums. This is a nice reminder.

Ornette · 07-04-2007, 04:55 PM

This album is even more textured than their previous ones, and that's the main reason I think it's their best yet. Unguided is the only mediocre song.

Rainard Jalen · 04-12-2008, 04:09 AM

Alright, so this is where I stand on the band. Before going further, I'll qualify what I'm to say by beginning with saying what I've heard of them: I've listened to Mass Romantic and Electric Version extremely thoroughly, and a couple of the floating mp3s from Challengers; I am yet to hear a thing off Twin Cinema.

Mass Romantic, the debut, is a tremendous album which succeeds in being considerably more than just one big splodge of cheery power pop. It gets rather more altogether complex, weird and ethereal than that, what with tracks like Execution Day and The Centre For Holy Wars, but there's even a sense of variance and eclectic diversity recurring throughout the album's poppier numbers on the first side of the record: the raw power pop of the title track, the choppiness and relentless drive of Mystery Hours, the Todd Rundgren-esque Fake Headlines...The Slow Descent has echos of David Bowie in places. In addition to these extensive attempts at various styles, the record's fuzzy, choppy, and bizarrely edgy and audacious. And that is the story of Mass Romantic.

With Electric Version, the tale is rather different. To begin, I'll state the obvious: in terms of pure hookery and catchiness this album is a winner. Newman is clearly a genius at what he does - he grabs ahold of your attention with the opening title track, and rarely lets go for the next 45 minutes. But, with that said, you cannot help feeling that there's something terribly wrong with the record.

Even on the first listen, it sticks out so sorely that one cannot help but notice. For the first 3 or 4 tracks you're thinking this is great, but then all of a sudden, as the album progresses, something dawns: track after track after track, there is simply a lack of variation in tone, in mood, in tempo, in style, even in melody (they even rehash a hook from the title track in The New Face Of Zero And One - scandalous!), almost to the point that it feels formulaic. No, I'll go further - it DOES come off sounding formulaic. It overloads with one main musical motif relentlessly until you're well and truly sick to your stomach of it. The wild experimentation of Mass Romantic is all but withered away.

Newman appears to get stuck in a niche, and isn't sure where to go next. Was this an attempt at creating a more coherent sound, or a simple lack of fresh ideas? Either way, in exchange for its relative coherence, much that was good about the band in the first place has been sacrificed.

Has anybody heard Twin Cinema? If so, what can you tell me about it? I ought to listen myself but I'm curious to hear how fans think it fares relative to the previous outing.

TastySalmagundi · 04-15-2008, 05:56 PM

Um... I went backwards kinda in how I listened to them. I started at twin cinema and then went to the electric version, and then challengers, and then mass romantic. Challengers and Mass Romantic are my two favorites though. They're really different sounds, but I think I can really get into both CDs and enjoy every track. Twin cinema has some really good songs, but also some that I usually skip over. I appreciate the variety of Twin Cinema, but eh... Challengers seemed a little more conceptual. The electric version feels like Mass Romantic only polished up. and some songs stick out as being really good (The Laws Have Changed), but really I think it's a weaker CD.

Challengers and Mass Romantic = instant win though as far as I'm concerned. I don't think it hurts that they have the best album art either.

Rubberchicken · 04-15-2008, 07:49 PM

I've been enjoying the new album.. few songs are better than others but I don't skip any of them. And I think they get away with having a slight pop edge. :P

07-01-2007, 12:41 PM	#24 (permalink)
IndieShotYou Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: In the middle of nowhere! And by Nowhere I mean in a suburb Posts: 56	The New Pornographers The Buy Now, Get Early scheme worked out really well for Matador because this album is one helluva listen even though it's slower and not as uplifting as their other work... Challengers is just as catchy and graceful.

07-01-2007, 07:14 PM	#26 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	I have a couple of tracks by them and like them, but have never seeked out any of their albums. This is a nice reminder. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

04-15-2008, 07:49 PM	#30 (permalink)
Rubberchicken Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 85	I've been enjoying the new album.. few songs are better than others but I don't skip any of them. And I think they get away with having a slight pop edge. :P __________________ Would you like lies with that?

06-15-2007, 03:35 AM	#23 (permalink)
thisisdanni Groupie Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9	i'm gutted it's apparently less power pop. i love their earlier albums the best. i'll have to check out this new album though!

07-01-2007, 06:35 PM	#25 (permalink)
Jonz Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 93	Yep, I'm loving it after a few listens. Like you said, it's different to their previous albums, but variety is always good. To me, it won't matter what direction they take - the voices of Carl, Neko, and Kathryn will always be welcome to my ears. Great album!

07-04-2007, 04:55 PM	#27 (permalink)
Ornette Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 100	This album is even more textured than their previous ones, and that's the main reason I think it's their best yet. Unguided is the only mediocre song.

04-12-2008, 04:09 AM	#28 (permalink)
Rainard Jalen Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,221	Alright, so this is where I stand on the band. Before going further, I'll qualify what I'm to say by beginning with saying what I've heard of them: I've listened to Mass Romantic and Electric Version extremely thoroughly, and a couple of the floating mp3s from Challengers; I am yet to hear a thing off Twin Cinema. Mass Romantic, the debut, is a tremendous album which succeeds in being considerably more than just one big splodge of cheery power pop. It gets rather more altogether complex, weird and ethereal than that, what with tracks like Execution Day and The Centre For Holy Wars, but there's even a sense of variance and eclectic diversity recurring throughout the album's poppier numbers on the first side of the record: the raw power pop of the title track, the choppiness and relentless drive of Mystery Hours, the Todd Rundgren-esque Fake Headlines...The Slow Descent has echos of David Bowie in places. In addition to these extensive attempts at various styles, the record's fuzzy, choppy, and bizarrely edgy and audacious. And that is the story of Mass Romantic. With Electric Version, the tale is rather different. To begin, I'll state the obvious: in terms of pure hookery and catchiness this album is a winner. Newman is clearly a genius at what he does - he grabs ahold of your attention with the opening title track, and rarely lets go for the next 45 minutes. But, with that said, you cannot help feeling that there's something terribly wrong with the record. Even on the first listen, it sticks out so sorely that one cannot help but notice. For the first 3 or 4 tracks you're thinking this is great, but then all of a sudden, as the album progresses, something dawns: track after track after track, there is simply a lack of variation in tone, in mood, in tempo, in style, even in melody (they even rehash a hook from the title track in The New Face Of Zero And One - scandalous!), almost to the point that it feels formulaic. No, I'll go further - it DOES come off sounding formulaic. It overloads with one main musical motif relentlessly until you're well and truly sick to your stomach of it. The wild experimentation of Mass Romantic is all but withered away. Newman appears to get stuck in a niche, and isn't sure where to go next. Was this an attempt at creating a more coherent sound, or a simple lack of fresh ideas? Either way, in exchange for its relative coherence, much that was good about the band in the first place has been sacrificed. Has anybody heard Twin Cinema? If so, what can you tell me about it? I ought to listen myself but I'm curious to hear how fans think it fares relative to the previous outing.

04-15-2008, 05:56 PM	#29 (permalink)
TastySalmagundi Groupie Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 1	Um... I went backwards kinda in how I listened to them. I started at twin cinema and then went to the electric version, and then challengers, and then mass romantic. Challengers and Mass Romantic are my two favorites though. They're really different sounds, but I think I can really get into both CDs and enjoy every track. Twin cinema has some really good songs, but also some that I usually skip over. I appreciate the variety of Twin Cinema, but eh... Challengers seemed a little more conceptual. The electric version feels like Mass Romantic only polished up. and some songs stick out as being really good (The Laws Have Changed), but really I think it's a weaker CD. Challengers and Mass Romantic = instant win though as far as I'm concerned. I don't think it hurts that they have the best album art either.