The New Pornographers

Together

(Matador)

Record Review by Kevan Peterson

Catchy and cool, The New Pornographers deliver with Together, their fifth studio release.  Opening with a poppy number, “Moves,” makes you want to do just that, as the strings, guitar and keys all blend into one wonderful melody.  The band does a great job of balancing all of its members' talents equally across the album, despite Neko Case’s looming shadow. 

Chucking out muddy guitar riffs that dominated some previous releases in favor of staccato beats, most notably in the first third of the album, Together has several shining moments.  Most tracks kick up the catchiness and mix mellow vocals with poppy instrumentation, in a way that The New Pornographers seem to have mastered over the years.  Many of the songs hit a similar tone, driving the album from one catchy rock moment to the next, until we reach “Valkyrie in the Roller Disco,” which favors a slowly unfolding tempo and a somewhat psychedelic guitar.  Continuing down the experimental path, “Daughters of Sorrow” infuses various methods to evoke a somewhat frantic feel to its message, while closing track “We End Up Together” brings everything back to the basics. 

Overall, Together, sits nicely alongside The New Pornographers other albums, showcasing a band that continues to grow and develop with each new release.  For fans of the band, this will be a must-have album, featuring some of their better work, and for those new to The New Pornographers this will play as a wonderful introduction to the world of TNP.