It's Aight

Just because something turns out to be not quite what you’d expected, does this mean it’s no good? Of course the answer is “certainly not,” but often in these cases one’s surprise can come with a slight tinge of disappointment, if not for the overall result, for what you had hoped to be getting into. Or, if instead your initially low expectations are rendered null by a pleasant surprise, this is indeed delightful. In the case of The New Pornographers’ latest effort Challengers we have not something necessarily better, but different. Based on the insanely upbeat nature of their last three albums, I went into the fourth expecting a candy-coated good time. Instead, it seems as if A.C. Newman and his team of other talented Canadians have traded their unbridled exuberance for the thoughtful ponderings of a sensitive soul.

Previous New Pornographers albums, while undoubtedly drenched in pop and therefore easy to like, were also well written and exemplary of fine talent. This is no surprise when you take a look at the band’s members, who along with primary songwriter Newman include Destroyer’s Dan Bejar, and of course everyone’s favorite Neko Case (she’s so hot right now). On Challengers our heroes seem to have shed their obsession with catchiness in favor of exploring some of the others possibilities that making music can offer. Also, word on the street is that Newman fell himself in love, and we all know what a healthy layer of sap on the heart can do to the head. “True,” you might say “but isn’t unbridled exuberance an expression of the ecstasy that is new love?” The answer is yes, but this album tackles one of the other representations of that oh so versatile human emotion, the contemplative and cheesy part of love where you look at the world with new eyes and discover fresh meaning in everything. Awwwwww!

Let us consider the song that became the album’s name, “Challengers.” On earlier projects, the titular tracks “Mass Romantic,” “Electric Version,” and “Twin Cinema” opened their respective albums and set the tone by presenting the liveliness the band would or had become known for. Here, the song “Challengers” steps in at number three and is a gentle musing on new love, thusly establishing the more casual, pared down sound of the album as a whole. Case sings “we are the challengers of the unknown,” and while apparently a reference to an emotional state, this line could also be used to describe Newman’s musical dabbling. The tracks on Challengers have fewer layers and are more subtle than previous songs, but they also tackle new directions and even new instruments. As Newman considers life afresh, the audience hears fun sounds like that from the french horn, harp, banjo, and mandolin. And speaking of new sounds, we get to enjoy some rousing fife on the awesomely titled “Mutiny, I Promise You,” one of a few tracks on the album that sounds more like an old skool New P’s hit.

Regrettably, though not forgetting the well-deserved props that should be given to those who experiment with their sound and discover new possibilities, overall Challengers is a tad boring. I mean sure, any ‘ol album might induce yawns if you go in expecting a raging party and end up instead with mild campfire songs, but even in considering the album as new territory, it doesn’t rock my world. Even Bejar’s non-love-infused contributions seem subdued in comparison to previous efforts, and his vocals play a lot with that weird talk-singing thing that’s just plain creepy. Challengers also disappoints a bit in its lack of utilization of the skills of both Case and the drummer. The two seem muted and pushed to the back of the room, despite their strength and the engaging power they’ve both displayed on other albums. By no means does this one suck, but in the end it feels like there’s just so much potential within the group that went untapped. I still think The New Pornographers rule though, because in their country, the law enforcement officers wear funny outfits for seemingly no reason at all.