Review – “Continue as a Guest” by The New Pornographers
The best album since 2014’s “Brill Bruisers,” this record is a reminder, through its stripped back sound, that this power pop super-group still has something to say after all this time.
“Fall through the kaleidoscope of your mentions,
You’re buried in daydream, you think it’s an entrance…”
I have been a fan of The New Pornographers since I was a teenager. Initially, I was introduced to them through the video game Rock Band which featured one of their early hits, “Electric Version” and shortly after, my brother introduced me to a number of tracks off of their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th LP’s. Ever since, I’ve had several of their songs included in playlists of all my old favorites that fill me with overwhelming nostalgia of my teenage years. Among those are “My Rights Versus Yours,” “Myriad Harbour”, and “Adventures in Solitude,” to name a few – for those unfamiliar with the band, all three of those tracks are off of their 2007 record “Challengers” which I highly recommend.
Over the years since, I have always looked forward to when this band announces an upcoming release, though they have notably slowed down quite a bit since 2010. Each new record they put out is always a unique trip to listen to because this power pop super-group really lays it on thick with each record. Unfortunately, not every track hits as a result, but I can appreciate each record as a whole to some degree, some more than others. But what about their most recent work? This one falls on the upper end of the spectrum for me.
“Continue as a Guest” is, to be direct, the best album from The New Pornographers since 2014’s “Brill Bruisers.” Its strength is in its significantly stripped back sound when compared to its three predecessors which were all power pop juggernauts in their own right. This album sounds as if the band stopped to take a breather and to be mindful – a feeling that matches the meaning of the title track which is an observation on trying to make it through life unnoticed, as an observer, continuing as a guest, as it were. The New Pornographers haven’t sounded this focused since Dan Bejar’s departure from the band in January of 2017, and it’s a refreshing and enjoyable record, even if it takes some growing to get into (as most of their records do).
It’s been fairly clear over the past ten years that The New Pornographers are slowing down as a group. Whether that is so individual members can focus on other music projects or just the result of time moving forward, I cannot say, but “Continue as a Guest” feels like a strong, yet subtle, victory lap – a reminder that this power pop act was once a force to be reckoned with in the world of “indie” music (whatever that term means). In this case, it’s a clear indicator that, even if they are deciding on a “long fade out,” to borrow a line off the record, it won’t be one that goes unnoticed.
Overall Rating: 7.4/10
Top Tracks:
– Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies
– Continue as a Guest
– Angelcover