MASS ROMANTIC

Have barely heard the last two but tend to agree.

I generally have more tolerance for Bejar on the later albums; when I listen to Mass Romantic or Electric Version I gotta get used to that dude braying at me.

I will say his voice has mellowed significantly.

another nude descends the staircase to get fucked

NB: Destroyer in Chapel Hill last March was my last pre-COVID show.

In the Morse Code was the first/only NP record that did absolutely nothing for me.

That's how I felt about Together, aside from its title track. I think I liked Morse Code because I still felt the glow of the one that came before it. And I do really like "Higher Beams"

together is the only one that i think of as a complete miss. maybe i'm making this up but i think newman was maybe not in an amazing place mentally when they were doing that one?

Yeah I revisited Together a couple of days ago and nothing really stuck out - I like every other record though. Morse Code isn't as strong as the two albums before it but it's still very good.

Bejar's "If You Can't See My Mirrors" is my fave on that one.

"crash years" is my fav neko-led song ever

oh also "sweet talk sweet talk" is such a banger come on

Just listening to Challengers and Bejar’s “Entering White Cecilia” jumped out at me. I can see why people might find his, um, tics (or “ticks,” as Xgau wrote) annoying, but to me he just has a knack for highlighting his hooks.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

oh also "sweet talk sweet talk" is such a banger come on

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Wednesday, November 25, 2020 6:03 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

i like this song a lot but i think the arrangement is lacking and it has this really weird abrupt ending.

hm yeah fair

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Feel like this is the wrongest fakest falsest new porno result

Tbh surprised Jackie beat out the title track and Fake Headlines.

I've also listened to this album about 40 times in the past week lol

obsessed w challengers now thank u thread

nothing but respect for my jackie-heads

this pretty much went chalk, huh

Noodle Vague going to show up and start berating us soon

"We End Up Together" is my favorite NP track post-Challengers

The New Pornographers' cover of "Breakin' The Law" is pretty underrated ITT.

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, November 23, 2020 9:42 AM (three days ago)

I’d like a mash up of the title track verses w/ the Occupant chorus.

otoh i just read this thread and i love this band, these songs, all the other songs, this thread, all y'all, and the chance to listen to these songs again. hmm.

thank you all for participating

not even a big bejar fan but true to form 'execution day' has lived in my head for at least a decade

I was about to comment on how perfect the song order is ("Breakin' The Law" is a great ending and feels like a victory lap), and I just noticed on Discogs that depending on which vinyl version you may have, "Letter from an Occupant" and "To Wild Homes" swap places (last song on Side A, first song on Side B). I've only listened to the CD (like a million times), where "Letter" is first...I'll have to try swapping those two.

"Letter" first (Matador): https://www.discogs.com/The-New-Pornographers-Mass-Romantic/release/688996
"To Wild Homes" first (Matador): https://www.discogs.com/The-New-Pornographers-Mass-Romantic/release/3915032
It looks like the Mint Records vinyl releases have "To Wild Homes" first.

Thanks for this excellent POLL, mookieproof

Hm, what's going on with the different versions of "Hey, Snow White"?

Y'alll ready for some challops??!?!?!?!!?11

"Breakin' The Law" - 0 is the best song on this album

This drummer packs a wallop, sings good bg vox too.

“Mary Martin Show” deserved better seeing the turnout.

We should keep this polling on to “Electric Version”

I love that this conversation exists and wish there were more bands containing multiple songwriters of equal skill with distinctive-but-complimentary qualities

wish there were more bands containing multiple songwriters of equal skill with distinctive-but-complimentary qualities

Sloan?

^^^^^^^^^^

I mean, I love Sloan, but couldn't guess the authorship from song-to-song with much (or any) accuracy

Agree with that. I bet hardcore fans could, though.

Uncle Tupelo comes to mind. And the DBTs.

Is Rolling Blackouts this way? Or do they write everything together and just trade off lead vocals?

sloan to me are more solid workhorses than "holy shit that song" type songwriters. which is not a dis!