Jan 262007
Phawker is now playing Sloan‘s latest, Never Hear the End of It. (Note: You’ll need to accept cookies for the Phawker radio to work.) A review by your’s truly accompanies the streaming audio.
Phawker is now playing Sloan‘s latest, Never Hear the End of It. (Note: You’ll need to accept cookies for the Phawker radio to work.) A review by your’s truly accompanies the streaming audio.
I think you went a little easy on them, Ed. The generic, Greg Brady “rock show” thing you hit on is their ultimate downfall for me, noble intentions or not. That “Ill Placed Trust” song annoys the hell out of me. There’s all that Rock Show Fanfare with almost no payoff. Compare it with something like Cobra Verde’s “Riot Industry” or even some songs I’ve heard by The Hold Steady. Those bands can deliver some of that Big Rock Show in Your Mind vibe.
Wow, they’ve gone even more 70s than I ever thought was possible – not necessarily a bad thing as I am a huge fan of 70s pop but I think more and more that this is becoming Jay’s band over Chris’, although maybe not so much for Pretty Together and more on Between the Bridges, but that might just be me. I like some of the tracks, but overall, not their best fare, and I’m sad to say even though it’s really good, it’s just not great. In regards to the Hold Steady, I seemed to have completely missed the boat on them while everyone was over at the Stone Pony in Jersey… I don’t know, but I just got annoyed by his voice the first couple of times I heard them. Someone please set me straight.
Sally C wrote:
I can’t really set you straight, but there are some things I find appealing: they’ve got some ’70s rock anthem dynamics – unfortunately more on the Springsteen side than the Mott the Hoople side, but there is some rhythmic thrust. I like the singer’s Look and ability to extract beer-soaked fists from his audience. All around, not bad, but the sub-Springsteen vibe wears me down, much like the real thing.
first of all, this Sloan lp is one of the biggest turds I’ve heard in the past few years. Way to go guys, I’ve heard some crap, and you’re right up there.
Sonically all the pieces are in place. the bases are loaded, and the clean up man is up t the plate. yet he bunts.
the songwriting is terrible. I can’t get past it. some bands I’m able to overlook poor lyrics if they bring me some attitude, but the smirky “look at me” how cool does this sound really turns me off. “Who Taught You To Live Like That? the song is terrible. HE WROTHE THE THESIS? WTF is that?
Now the Hold Steady, that’s a band I can get behind. They’ve got the chops, they’ve got the songs, and they bring the ATTITUDE, which more than makes up for the fact that the guy talk sings, which admittedly can be very tiresome in the wrong band, but he pulls it off for me, much like Phil Lynott could pull it off.
I’m not sure how I feel about the keyboard player, the guy who looks like the singer for the Fabulous Thunderbirds. They might need to replace him.