New Pornographers

Didn't it come out last month?

Neko solo would blow them away, if only she wrote somewhat better songs. I still prefer her to them, though, 'cuz she sings lead on all the Neko Case stuff.

Carl looks more like Howdy Doody with each passing day.

Saw them in June, it was cool to hear Neko sing in so many of the songs. But I'm a sucker for her voice.

It just came on randomly and was surprised at how much it would fit in on Mass Romantic.

'mass romantic' is so fucking good.

Song or album? - in neither case would it be a revelatory insight, but I'm all for whimsicality.

i have no insights or whimsicality, i just pulled it out the other night and it was perfect.

any opinions on the new one that's out today, y'all?

new New Pornographers

thank u sir

i like the new disc a lot. i don't think there's a weak track, and as much as i love the new pornographers, that's an unusual feeling for me (even twin cinema had a weak patch IMO). teaming neko case/kathryn calder for vocal harmonies works wonders, in songs like if you can't see my mirrors; sweet talk; and my shepard. the interesting drum patterns and fills are back. the hooks are, too.

i guess i've said most of this before, and on the other thread. sorry for being a broken record about this record.

awesome review, Daniel. Twin Cinema was a record that i got on the day it came out, and i could listen to again and again, so i'm hoping this one is the same . . . i passed on the last one

Don't sleep on Challengers. It took me a full year to really warm to, but now it's indispensable.

really? i was turned off by the lukewarm response, but i really love Twin Cinema, so maybe i should go back to it

it's underrated. i mean, the songs do lay there more than you'd expect for this band's work, but they were following a different muse. the songs themselves were still very strong, and i liked the depth that was added when they slowed down the tempo and didn't try to cram enough hooks for five songs into one song.

having said all that, challengers is hardly my favorite new pornographers' disc.

Yeah, it's not my favorite either, but I'd be sad if it didn't exist.

my goal here is for the "New Pornographers" and "New New Pornographers" threads to sit atop the SNA page.

symmetry.

mission accomplished.

:-D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8-1EPeYn3A&feature=player_embedded

does anyone else LOVE the first song on each NP album, and everything else is just kinda meh with a few exceptions?

New album 'Whiteout Conditions' in April. First single today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuxVvtDt6ss

Cautious anticipation commence.

thrilled that their album covers are terrible again

Carl Newman took over handling the band's twitter feed today, and he's spending time re-tweeting his own personal tweets and big-upping them.

Todd Fancey (guitar for NP) has a new record out today, "Love Mirage"

I like the album cover. Don't care for how they incorporated it into the YouTube vid.

Interesting timing on the Fancey album cover.

http://www.albumkings.com/packages/anahkiasen/illuminage/eae355e430f9ab09db94469e65430503.jpg

First of all, I didn't say they were listless this time, I said their draw is shrinking. No worries, just wanted to clarify.

HOWEVER ... I do think they're generally a little bit listless, at least in recent years. I've seen them three times: First in 2003 and they were great, then in 2010 and they were listless (but also touring on what I think is their worst album, Together), and again in 2017, and they were great, but they were great because of the *songs* not because they gave a great performance. (There were other tangential circumstances that made me love them that time, too.)

The real fuel for the listlessness is just the lack of personality that comes through anymore ... if Carl and Neko were once great at banter, they really aren't these days. (Neko is definitely still better at it than Carl.) They mostly look like they're going through the motions, *especially* Blaine Thurier (who is no longer with the band, but was a vibe-killer when he was). Carl's affect looks more like a mix of "a little nervous + lots to do and trying not to mess up + going through the motions" ... I think he enjoys what he does, mostly, but he just doesn't really act like it.

I haven't seen them on this tour, but if they seem listless this time, I would suggest that it's because the setlists are heavy with songs from an album that's just OK. I'm not sure they have the show to carry dreary songs anymore.

Maybe the next album will be a Brill Bruisers-style return to form and I'll pounce on the chance to see them again, but otherwise, it might be time - for me, at least - to prioritize anniversary shows focused on the albums I really love. (I missed the Mass Romantic / Electric Version tour and it still bums me out.)

Yeah, I should stress, it wasn't a bad show, as such. Just ... fine. Rarely exultant.

I thought it was a pretty good concert, despite the subdued, elderly audience. They played 5 of the 10 songs I most wanted to hear. Seven songs from the new album was a bit much, though. Hearing Neko Case sing just about anything was worth the price of admission.

Veronica, sorry to hear the uptight Connecticuters dampened your enjoyment. What Carl said about Norwalk was something along the lines of “I think I am correct in the assumption that we have never played Norwalk before.” I doubt they’ll ever be back, but I’ll hold out hope that they’ll return someday with Dan Bejar in tow.

sad to hear the pit at new pornographers shows back in the day got pretty violent

welcome to the thread!

They haven't quite been the same since they dropped the growling and blast beats.

Just got out of the Vancouver show. You could tell, every time, when they were playing a song from the new album. Lack of dynamics, a turgid kinda vibe, it’s just not good. The Neko replacement, when she was singing in unison with Kathryn, sounded eerily lifelike — but of course none of the stage presence and just plain old charisma and star power of Neko.

First half of the show was kinda tentative and very heavy on the new stuff. They picked up a lot toward the end, leaning more on hits (including a surprise visit from “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk”) and ofc ending with “The Bleeding Heart Show” which ejected us from the venue in the right mood.

I don’t think they played anything from Brill Bruisers or Morse Codeat all.

Bejar showed up and sang a few — “Myriad Harbour” and “A Testament To Youth In Verse” were great — I’m really inclined to dislike him but the song choices were spot on.

There’s a new touring member, whom we dubbed “Band Camp”, didn’t catch her name, playing saxophone & keys & flute. She looked like she was terrified of making a mistake.

Overall it was a careful and well constructed show, with flashes of glory — mostly concentrated in the songs from the first 4 albums. Not sad I went at all, but a very different thing than it was 20 years ago (obv to be expected).

Still the best power pop band ever, fite me about it.

no need to fite, you are correct

if you didn't, scroll up and see the convo from May about them. i think this is just the NPs experience now.

I saw them live in Baltimore in… 2001, I think? Still one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. But not sure if I would go today, haven’t really kept up.

Disgusting...

https://kesq.com/news/2025/04/17/palm-desert-man-charged-with-child-porn-possession-accused-of-recording-minor-in-restaurant-bathroom/

guess it's time for them to get a new name (sorry that joke has probably been made 100x already somewhere)

it has.

this is awful, obviously.

guy is a bit player in the NPs universe, really, and yet the combination of this news and the band's name ... and the band's flagging trajectory and the fact that it is more or less a Carl solo project anyway ... it feels like the prudent thing to do might be to end this project, or at the very least ditch the name.

which, if it were to happen, would be a sad ending to an otherwise incredible run.

(this doesn't mean i think Carl will end it, btw.)

Thought their crime was always making the same album endlessly but this escalates matters

He's officially been fired from the band, obvs.

Maybe they can do a Chicks/Lady A-style rebranding as "The Newpies"?

At a Chick-fil-A!

The NePos

I got the feeling their original drummer left under a cloud, though I'm sure not such a dark cloud.

New album is very subdued. Did I miss it or does Neko not sing lead on any of the songs?

Their second consecutive subdued album. The last one was deliberately hook-free.

I keep thinking I'm done with them, but I'm actually kind of digging the new one (still couldn't hum a note of the last couple). Mellow, yes--but pretty. Pairs kinda nicely with last year's (also nautical themed) Mountain Goats record.

"couldn't hum a note of the last couple" - I'm in the same boat. In this world of more music than you can ever listen to, what's to be done with solid but unmemorable albums from old favorites? Enjoy them and move on I suppose.