The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
(Mint)
The highly acclaimed New Pornographers, from Canada, are a supergroup of 90's indie pop. Carl Newman from the incredibly underappreciated Zumpano is the main songwriter and vocalist, with country sensation Neko Case as a part-time vocalist and filmmaker Blaine Thurier on keyboards. Together sporadically since 1996, the New Pornographers have finally completed their debut album.
I hate to make blanket statements like this, but this is probably the best pop album of 2000. The New Pornographers avoid the trends of current indie pop and stick to classic styles that are proved to work. There's Big Star guitar hooks and 1960's Zombies-esque melodies as well as Newman's wonderfully expressive voice (which ties back to Zumpano's Nilsson fixation). The band has a slight garagey feel, with distorted guitars and a bubbly organ. They rock out behind a Phil Spector wall-of-sound, still keeping everything piled on even during the slower parts.
The title track opens the record, driven by the keyboards and Case's vocals. Newman's harmonies are lovely, and any fan of Zumpano will surely appreciate the New Pornographers slightly more aggressive turn. His voice takes the forefront on "The Fake Headlines," which begins as a slow ballad before exploding into pure crunching new wave.
The highlight of the record is the masterpiece "Letter From an Occupant." Sung by Case (without any traces of her usual country affect), this brilliant piece of pop carries the anthemic energy rush of Superchunk while still retaining a retro songwriting approach. The chorus bursts into some "Whoo whoo!"ing that is carried by chiming guitars à la Husker Du.
Newman's voice is always uplifting; even when singing downbeat lyrics, he has a joyous tone that can make anyone want to get up and dance. His songcraft is so skilled that he can pull off a song like "The Slow Descent into Alcoholism" with pure glee and bright-eyed optimism. Singing "My ever-loosening grip/on the commonest courtesy slipped/from my hands" in a Gestalt manner that places the emphasis on odd syllables, it's hard to even notice the sadness in the lyrics as his melodies weave a suit of armor around his soul.
There are so many highlights to this album, which is 40 minutes of rambunctious delight. "To Wild Homes" is as catchy as the rest of the album but adorned with a goofy Moog solo and a vocal melody that could come from a Fairport Convention song. "The Mary Martin Show" is a bouncy and soaring stomper. The somewhat odd "Jackie," sung by another vocalist, is sassy and and infectious. Things only turn down a bit for the closing song, "Breakin' the Law," as Newman wails "It's not much but I'm going under" as the drums pound away. It's the most abstract and strange song on the album, as loud as the rest but somewhat deflated and slower.
I only regret that I've missed my chance to include Mass Romantic in my choices of the three top albums of 2000 for THE LIST; I heard it just a little bit too late (though I haven't taken it off my stereo since). Any fan of pop music will find Mass Romantic irresistable and exciting; I've been singing along for 3 days straight without a break.
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