A.C. Newman - Get Guilty

Last Gang
Published February 5, 2009  by Jason Lewis in Record Reviews

In a musical landscape where The New Pornographers are a case study in the law of diminishing returns, it is encouraging that frontman Carl Newman still has some tricks up his sleeve. Get Guilty showcases the kind of pristine pop that Newman built his rep on. The songs are extremely well written, but their arrangements are even better. Guitar tones devolve from crisp to fuzzed out, bold counter-melodies build songs up even higher and, of course, there is a well-polished vocal delivery that frames every song. It feels like Newman designed these songs to be played perfectly in the studio, rather than re-created by a touring outfit. There is more adventure, more risk, more harmony and, let’s face it, more Newman. Without expectation, ego or other band members to get in the way, the dozen songs on Get Guilty get exactly what they deserve. While the Pornographers are falling flat if they aren’t going flat out, here Newman’s subtler moments are just as engrossing as his flashy rock-outs.



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