5 Songs That Prove The New Pornographers’ Power Pop Brilliance

We were told that The New Pornographers were a supergroup when we first heard them, even though few but the most stalwart Canadian indie rock fans had ever heard of the majority of the members or their songs. When we heard their propulsively entertaining style, well, supergroup seemed to undersell it.

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This outfit that started off as a kind of side project has become one of the most reliable bands of the past few decades. Their stock in trade is post-millennial power pop, and the following five examples display how they do that genre better than anybody.

“The Laws Have Changed” from ‘Electric Version’ (2003)

After making a splash with Mass Romantic, their 2000 debut, The New Pornographers delivered a sophomore album that was pretty much flawless in Electric Version. And if there were one song that defined their sound the best, it would have to be “The Laws Have Changed”.

Drummer Kurt Dahle lays down a snare-heavy beat to set the thing in motion. Carl Newman delivers lyrics about authority run amok in the verse. Then, everybody gets out of the way so that Neko Case can belt in the chorus. “Form a line,” she beckons. Fans of melodic rock couldn’t queue up fast enough.

“Sing Me Spanish Techno” from ‘Twin Cinema’ (2005)

TNP continued their hot streak with Twin Cinema in 2005. The formula largely stayed the same, but why would they mess with such a winning mix? This track features an irresistible riff to propel it forward.

Songwriter Carl Newman clearly learned from John Lennon’s maxim that you should write verses as if they were choruses. The tune doesn’t waste any time grabbing you. The pre-chorus takes you in an entirely different direction, before we get to the unforgettable refrain. That refrain warns us against “listening too long to one song,” even as we couldn’t help but put this brilliant track on repeat.

“Myriad Harbour” from ‘Challengers’ (2007)

For their first five albums, TNP would balance out Carl Newman’s hard-charging tunes with off-kilter, slinky stuff from Dan Bejar. Interestingly enough, the Challengers album witnessed Newman softening up his approach just a bit, while Bejar assumed the power pop mantle with “Myriad Harbour.”

Bejar doesn’t in any way abandon his idiosyncratic way with a lyric in the song. But the surge that the track undergoes as it transforms from a playful acoustic ditty into a majestic pomp-rock beast is undeniable.

“Crash Years” from ‘Together’ (2010)

There are certain The New Pornographers songs where all the musical elements are placed just so for maximum ear candy level. “Crash Years”, which seems to lash out against the boredom of routine, is one of those tracks.

Found on Together, the band’s 2010 return to more of a forceful style, it parcels out surprises here and there, such as the ELO-like cello that connects the verses, and the instrumental break that’s largely made up of whistles. In the midst of all that, Neko Case reigns over it all with a thrilling vocal performance.

“Wide Eyes” from ‘Brill Bruisers’ (2014)

Carl Newman’s lyrics have always been puzzles to be unlocked, and we can only often guess at his actual intent on many occasions. “Wide Eyes”, with its images of someone standing on the edge of a deep precipice trying to leap across to the other side, seems to be of a more personal nature than many of The New Pornographers’ other songs.

Or maybe that’s what we infer because we can hear something urgent and wistful in his vocals. When Neko Case joins in to harmonize with him in the chorus, the emotion might catch you by surprise. Even if you’re not quite sure of the exact meaning.

Photo courtesy of Sacks & Co.