The New Pornographers are a Canadian Indie band on Matador Records. Though I’ve heard the name in passing, it was browsing Amazon.com that they were really brought to my attention. After browsing some other albums, Amazon insisted Twin Cinema was for me. It’s rare an online application alone will convince me to buy an album. The first and only time I bought an album on the blind faith of a computer was The Rentals’ Seven More Minutes, which was not for me. However, I was fortunate enough to find a copy of Twin Cinema through the local library system to check out before spending my hard earned coins.

The title track in the number one slot helps get this album off to a start. The power pop ensemble is made possible by thirteen acomplished musicians all coming together to create layers of upbeat tunes.

Twin Cinema is pretty good when listening to start to finish, but not quite great. Some songs such as “The Bones Of An Idol” don’t have the same appeal as its neighbors and seem like an intermission. Sandwiched between “The Jessica Numbers” and “Sing Me Spanish Techno”, “These Are The Fables” seems to get off to a slow start. Just when I’m about to say I don’t like it, it kicks it up a notch for the finish. Still, it seems a bit long for a song that is only three and a half minutes. Maybe that is part of the magic.

The only single from Twin Cinema is “Use It”. It’s an okay song, but lacks the substance of “The Jessica Numbers”, “Sing Me Spanish Techno”, or “Twin Cinema”.

All in all I like this album, but I’d hesitate to recommend it wholeheartedly to friends and family. Despite that, I like it enough to check out their other albums and eventually the side projects by various members.

Immediate Favorites:

• Track 1: Twin Cinema
• Track 5: Jackie, Dressed In Cobras
• Track 6: The Jessica Numbers
• Track 8: Sing Me Spansih Techno
• Track 9: Falling Through Your Clothes

Songs I Could Do Without:

• Track 2: Bones Of An Idol- There is nothing about this song that makes me hate it, but it just doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the album.

Songs that will grow on you:

• Track 3: Use It
• Track 4: Bleeding Heart Show
• Track 10: Broken Beads
• Track 13: Streets Of Fire

Bits of Trivia:

• Nearly every member of the band is involved with their own solo projects or a number of other bands.
• Primary songwriter, A.C. Newman, recorded his debut solo album with a grant from the Canadian Government.

Filed under: Album Reviews, Reviews by John