The New Pornographers - Challengers
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Free Music Notes for Challengers
Free Music Review: Excellent Album, Forget the Naysayers
Hit: 4 Stars
After 2005's brilliant Twin Cinema, New Pornographers leader Carl Newman made a conscious decision to do something a little different for the band's next trick. Consequently, Challengers pulls back a bit from the bombastic power-pop the group is known for. With the ranks of the band now swelled to eight members, the arrangements take center stage this time out. Well, the arrangements as well as the female vocals. Neko Case has been an integral member of the band since the beginning, providing a powerful voice on both lead and backing vocals. But with her solo career taking off, The New Pornographers had to recruit another woman to sing for them when Case wasn't available to tour. Enter Kathryn Calder on vocals and piano. Although she showed up here and there on Twin Cinema, she really comes into her own on Challengers.
The album kicks off with "My Rights Versus Yours," a mid-tempo song with an irresistible chorus. It starts off sparsely, with just Newman's voice, soft guitar, and a quiet keyboard. Gradually the rest of the band enters- backing vocals, bass guitar, a tambourine, drums. After 90 seconds the song is going full force and the first chorus kicks in. Then, a bridge, with the traditional duet vocals of Newman and Case. But by the end of the bridge, Calder is there, too, adding another layer to the harmony and staying there for the chorus. While the song never bursts out into the full rock you'd expect from earlier Pornographers songs, it's a perfect example of the careful, meticulous arrangements the album is filled with.
"All Old Showstoppers" rides a similar mid-tempo groove and has more of Case's backing vocals providing extra punch to Newman's lead. "Challengers" is next, and the first ballad of the album. Case takes the lead here, soulfully singing over Newman's quiet harmony and "o-la o-la o-la o-la" from Calder and the rest of the band. "Myriad Harbour" is Dan Bejar's first appearance on the album, providing his usual handful of songs. His angular songwriting and sort of yelpy singing voice always give the Pornographers some contrast. The lyrics here and on the album-closing "The Spirit of Giving" sound more like his main band Destroyer than usual, with awkward chatter from the Canadian about the American indie music scene. Still, the song itself is damn catchy, with great gang vocals on the chorus and a well-placed harmonica riff.
"All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth" is one of only two fast songs on the album, capturing more of the sound you'd usually expect from the band. Drummer Kurt Dahle gets to really open up his drums on this one, showing flashes of the creativity he displayed on Twin Cinema. Next up is the fantastic "Failsafe," as things slow back down. Calder takes the lead vocal on this one, although Case provides harmonies throughout the song, to the point where it's basically a duet. A jagged electric guitar echo permeates the song as well, giving the tune an interesting-sounding bedrock to build upon. "Unguided" has the feel of an epic journey- at 6 1/2 minutes, it's the album's longest song. Although the song is relaxed, it has a big, wide-open sound, driven by Dahle's drums and a huge chorus. Afterward, Bejar's bouncy "Entering White Cecilia" changes things up again, and just in time.
Then there's the mid-tempo "Go Places," which is another vocal treat. Case has the lead, but there's plenty of Calder here as well. Calder's piano playing, a catchy guitar line, and a string section drive the music, which is anchored by another beautiful chorus. "Mutiny, I Promise You" is the other up-tempo song on the album, and it's one of the highlights. A riff reminiscent of "Sing Me Spanish Techno" moves the song along to a Newman-Case duet, and yes, there's a great, hooky chorus on this one as well. "Adventures in Solitude" has probably the quietest moment on an album full of subdued moments. Slight instrumentatation by the band and later, a string section, accompanies a beautiful duet from Newman and Calder. Case comes in about halfway through the song with her own unique vocal melody, which drives through to the end of the song. A Bejar song closes out a Pornographers album for the first time with "The Spirit of Giving." This is one of those songs that just has that feeling of a closer. There's a nice wrap-up, closing goodbye sound. A musical interlude in the middle with French horn, trumpet, accordion, and strings goes well with the whole "arrangements are important" attitude that the rest of Challengers has.
Yeah, okay, this review was a little long. But there's so much good stuff inside a New Pornographers disc that it's worth talking about for a while. Yes, the rumors you have heard of this album being quieter than the band's other albums are true. No, that doesn't make this album bad or even a disappointment. I don't think it quite measures up to the awesomeness of Twin Cinema, but the songwriting is just as clever as always, with all the things that make the band great. And if you get a chance to see them on tour this fall, make sure you don't miss them, because Neko Case (finished promoting her excellent 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood) will be along for the whole thing. I can't wait to see some of these songs live with both ladies singing. 9.0/10
Free Music Review: A Good Followup Album
Hit: 4 Stars
Challengers is on the mellower side when compared to Twin Cinema. The New Pornographers still manage to rock it though. Myriad Harbour is a great single.Free Music Review: Disappointing
Hit: 2 Stars
I bought this after the good review in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, and think I will give it away. I also bought "Under the Blacklight" also reviewed at the same time in the Washington Post; this was much better to my taste.
Free Music Review: Different - but the same, - and still excellent.
Hit: 5 Stars
Tell me something. Did the Beatles sound the same on "Rubber Soul" as they did on "Meet the Beatles"? No, of course not. Does that make "Rubber Soul" any less interesting of an album? Quite the opposite. The same goes for the New Pornographers' latest release which, like the Fab Four's middle period albums, has more variety and subtlety than their early albums, but still retains the pop song artistry that they've been known for in the past. Actually, they've always had their slower, quieter side on a few songs from previous albums, so this transition shouldn't be completely unexpected by NP fans. And of course, they deliver the goods (meaning manic rockin' out) the same as they've ever done on at least two or three tracks here. So now we also have the opportunity to rest a bit between bop sessions. Is there a problem with that? Not for me. Free Music Review: Best of 2007: Twin Cinema Gets Better
Hit: 5 Stars
I first learned about The New Pornographers shortly before the release of their "Twin Cinema" album and I was hooked for good. These Vancouver-based folks simply hit the ball out of the stadium consistently and they keep getting better
Couple a solid lineup of singers that harmonize in ways that make their music unforgettable with A.C. Newman's songwriting and musical brilliance and the result is an incredible album that you love upon listening to it the first time and one that keeps getting better and more enjoyable every single day.
The opening and title tracks, along with the very opportune "Adventures In Solitude" do so much for me that I wonder how could indie music have made it so far without these songs around.