Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 Reviewer: David Coats |
Good news, kids – Sloan’s not done after all.
The title of Sloan’s 9th studio album is a psychological term used by the band to describe the way the members write songs – as individuals. It’s interesting to see how the band member’s song writing skills have evolved over the years, as each member has a clear style: Patrick Pentland is basically responsible for whatever radio play the band’s new material gets, as he can be counted on to write the money-shot single; drummer Andrew Scott is the star of this record, contributing punk, folk and reggae efforts with surprising success; Jay Ferguson writes the witty, off-kilter singles; and Chris Murphy, still the public face of the group, fills in the gaps.
Sloan’s last three records (Pretty Together, Action Pact, and Never Hear The End Of It) all proved to be average records, based around one strong single and otherwise not especially memorable. Fans could be forgiven for assuming Parallel Play would be more of the same, but by the time you’ve heard Murphy’s ‘I’m Not A Kid Anymore,’ you’ll realize this is Sloan’s best effort this decade . The single this time is the solid if unspectacular ‘Believe In Me’; rather than stealing the show, it fits in nicely with the rest of the record, which mercifully achieves more balance and more efficiency than the 2006 30-song monster Never Hear The End Of It. Ferguson scores with ‘Cheap Champagne,’ while ‘Emergency 911’ is a rare visit to the band’s grunge/punk roots, and ‘Down In The Basement’ is country-rock in the style of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues.’ Throughout, Murphy and Scott’s lyrical wordplay is sharp as ever.
Parallel Play contains solid songs that help the record add up to more than the sum of its parts. It’s not quite a return to form, but will justify listeners’ hopes that the whole story hasn’t been told yet for one of Canada’s most celebrated bands.
