New Pornographers: Challengers

New Pornographers
Challengers
Matador

With Matador putting out their records and indie heroes like Dan Bejar (Destroyer) and Neko Case (world’s coolest woman) counting themselves as members, The New Pornographers certainly might look like indie rock’s greatest supergroup. What they sound like, however, is just a really good pop band that ought to be on the f*#%ing radio.

As with the band’s previous three records, Challengers finds the New Pornographers’ red-headed ringleader Carl Newman kicking out the jams with sickening ease, finding that perfect balance of thinking man’s anthems (the fantastic title track sung by Case) and clap-along, road-tripping, pop gems (“Mutiny, I Promise You”).

On the whole, Challengers has a noticeably more organic feel than any of the band’s other work, including 2005’s acclaimed Twin Cinema. A lot of the swirling synths are gone, replaced with the more subtle textures of the Wurlitzer, mandolin, glockenspiel, strings, and a lot of piano. This, along with Newman’s less cryptic, slightly more personal lyricism, makes Challengers the most emotionally evocative record the band’s made, but not at the expense of melody or good fun. The simple chorus of “Failsafe”—“you and me both, Kid”—might not match the energy of classic New Pornos tunes like “Letter From An Occupant” or “The Bleeding Heart Show,” but it actually might hit closer to the bone.

If good pop is still good pop, then the New Pornographers need not be relegated to the ears of those who listen to the Shins and Belle & Sebastian. Fans of other underground bands like the Beatles, the Ramones, or the Cars would probably dig this stuff, too.

(Andrew Clayman)


Published in The Metro Pulse, August 2007