I have been listening to The Slow Wonder because of the recent critical acclaim of A.C. Newman and The New Pornographers. I can’t get into the album, though. Newman, front-man of the Pornographers, keeps his bouncy and occasionally witty writing on this solo disc. He has worked his songs into a more rootsy sound, while creating another up-tempo album.
The album never rises above mediocrity. The lyrics are nothing special, though Newman injects some wit now and then. The indie-folk sound works occasionally, like on Drink to Me Babe Then and On the Table.
Basically only get this if you really liked Twin Cinema by the Pornographers or Gimme Fiction by Spoon. I can’t help thinking that these musicians are getting attention, just because there are not many buzzy power pop bands around. If this were the 90s, I think this music would have been drowned out by bands like Toad the Wet Sprocket, Blur and Grant Lee Buffalo.
1.5 out of 4.0 on the Vin Swanson Scale.
Listening to them is like being in the backseat of a Ford Escort between two large people and being worried that if the driver hits a another pothole your head might be slammed into the car’s roof.
1 comment:
I agree that the album as a whole was lackluster, however, I can't quite get enough of the first track "Miracle Drug." At some point I'm going to compile a playlist of drug songs... I also find it amusing that U2 has a song with the same title, and that I actually like this one better.
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