THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
Continue As A Guest (Merge)
There’s a joyful originality to Continue As A Guest that makes this ninth album from Vancouver’s New Pornographers a really great listen. Frontman A.C. Newman has confessed to considering himself a singer, 20 years into the band’s career, and has focused on writing melodies that suit his vocal style. This is readily apparent on an album that oozes confidence and subtle swagger.
This is also the first time Newman has recorded the band himself and the results are very impressive. The rhythm section sounds muscular, while his and Neko Case’s vocals are full of character and intrigue. The addition of Zach Djanikian’s saxophone playing – often rhythmic, always soulful – adds a lot to the individuality of this album that marks the band out as an outfit who, two decades into their career, can float above the ever-changing waves of fashion and chart their own unique course.
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES
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