>>PREVIEW
SLOAN
Sunday, October 22
The Whiskey
Call it classic overachiever syndrome. Fifteen years into their career, Sloan has amassed a discography impressively filled with seminal albums, a double live album, a greatest hits package with a DVD and a music video compilation. Never Hear the End of it, Sloan’s eighth studio album, is an epic recording easily destined to become an album that fans and bands will be talking about for years to come.
Beginning with "Flying High Again," which acknowledges how nuts they are to still be in the business, Sloan blazes into a 77-minute, no-filler mix without looking back. Between traditionally constructed songs are instantly engaging vignettes – scrappy little bruisers that the band says were mostly recorded live off the floor.
An eclectic recording with high energy, Never Hear the End of it features the four songwriters both continuing in their individual styles and challenging expectations.
Jay Ferguson, who can always be counted on for sparkling pop songs, blasts out the swaggering rocker, "Who Taught You to Live Like That?" Andrew Scott shines with brilliant psych nuggets and catchy pop rockers. Patrick Pentland, who usually slugs out hook-heavy crunchy rockers, offers sweeping, epic pop songs and a lightning fast punk track.
Chris Murphy has the most tracks on this album and has joked that his solo album is embedded somewhere in it. Despite having an incredible string of successful dates touring with the Rolling Stones this summer, Murphy is sporting a conspicuous hole in his blue jeans. If anyone can wear a pair of jeans with an enormous hole beside the fly and not come off like a creep, it’s Murphy. As warm and friendly as he is cheeky, Murphy is one of the nicest guys in rock ’n’ roll. He just saw the vinyl pressing of the album and couldn’t be happier with the way the record turned out.
"We talked about whether it would be better to do two CDs and make both a listenable length or just one obnoxiously long one," he laughs.
"I was always hoping that we’d put out a double, really long record. I think Patrick was taken basically by surprise. He was like, ‘what the fuck are you talking about? We’re not doing a double record, I’ve only got four songs.’ I was like, ‘I’ve got 14 or whatever.’ Andrew had eight.
"I did a bunch of demos last October thinking that everybody would do some demos and we would choose songs (for the album). I gave them to everybody and nobody gave me any feedback. So I just said, ‘no one gives a shit, I’ll record them all.’ Although there were more songs than we had. We didn’t completely tap ourselves out.
"We wanted to make a record that people would want to talk about because, y’know, when you’re a band 15 years into your career, what are you going to say? ‘Yeah, we have a new record out. How many songs? Twelve. Oh, that’s great, goodbye,’" he says dismissively. "At least this way, it may be alienating to some and thrilling to others, I don’t know.
"I just want to keep making new records and surprising people. Nobody is the boss. Nobody is saying, ‘this is what we’re doing.’ We’re not a solo act, we’re a band in a true sense and that’s what I’ve always loved."
In an age when mainstream radio and music television could not be more disinterested, it’s flat-out courageous to be a pop-rock band these days. With music videos going the way of the dinosaur, this is the first Sloan album without a traditional music video supporting their lead single. Instead, they have creatively reapplied their trusty do-it-yourself ethic and uploaded 30 clips of album related footage, Never See the End of it, on YouTube.
According to the general laws that govern rock ’n’ roll, after 15 years together, band members should have either overdosed, been locked-up in rehab or left in a fit. As Sloan has proven time-and-time again, they’re not a band who does things conventionally. Thankfully, those who continue to benefit the most – now and in years to come – are their fans. |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.