| · The New Pornographers haven’t just beaten the sophomore jinx – they’ve bludgeoned it.
After the massive critical acclaim for 2000’s Mass Romantic, it’s good to know that Carl Newman and the rest of The New Pornographers haven’t let success swell their heads.
On the contrary, with the first two songs on Electric Version, they’ve taken the meta-pop route, wryly commenting on their ever-so-catchy riffs and melodies with lyrics about music that "sounds large" or, better yet, is magical coming out "from blown speakers."
The New Pornographers exhibit no pretentious rock star antics – instead, they remain content to wow us with their mastery of the three-minute (OK, four-minute) pop song. Electric Version is note-perfect throughout, but it is particularly worth hearing for the intricate harmony at the end of "Testament to Youth in Verse," a little throwaway nugget that sounds like something from the canon of minimalist composer Steve Reich. Could any other pop artists make the word "No" sound quite so beautiful?
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