After a rather soulless performance by support band Here We Go Magic, it is up to headliners The New Pornographers to breathe some life back into the room. Luckily, with their witty crowd banter and jovial indie-pop, the audience is soon resuscitated.
One of the first things that strikes you about the band is that there are three people on vocal duties; the creative genius and driving force behind the band; A.C. Newman leading the way, along with Neko Case and Newman’s niece Kathryn Colder. This trio works well, with all three voices impeccably complimenting each other. Describing their sound as ‘power-pop’, the band are actually far more complex than that tag-line might suggest, with ‘Use It’ possessing a rock and roll heart, with briskly plucked guitar strings and an escalating drum roll. Meanwhile, shouted lyrics during ‘It’s Only Divine Right’ creates a punk moment and the band whistling in unison during ‘Crash Years’ simply makes for a rather bemusing sight, but all of these elements ultimately serve to demonstrate their versatility.
The drums prove to be hugely important to The New Pornographers’ overall sound, as rhythm-less verses seem noticeably more bland, and the cyclical heartbeat patterns provide a pulse for the rest of the group. During some songs, however, it feels as though Newman has maybe hit a bit of writer’s block as numerous “ooohs” and “lalalas” occasionally drone on and become somewhat tiresome in comparison to the otherwise vivid and meaningful lyrics showcased in such other tracks as ‘My Rights Versus Yours’.
Overall The New Pornographers’ sound is very clean; from the abrupt endings of the songs to the synchronised harmonies; the band know exactly what they want. Newman as master tailor has cut and sewn everything together sublimely and trimmed the edges to perfection, and the result is one very sharp and immaculately groomed performance.
This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk
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