New Pornographers - Mass Romantic

  by Daryl Easlea

published: 28 / 3 / 2002

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Review

Oh God, unbelievably classy neon-coloured turbo-fuelled power pop. At a point in my musical life when I want nothing more than to listen to mad German professor men playing prehistoric computers with a hammer, The New Pornographers are one hell of a guilty pleasure. Melody! Harmony! More catchy choruses than the entire history of the top ten! Jesus, they even have ‘dooby-do’ bits. The title track for instance, with that magnificent interplay between Neko Case and the Boy Ones is like every good idea The Go Go’s ever had (blasted through walls of spangly guitars, fizz-pop toy keyboards and ‘do do do!’ backing vox. Neko sounds reborn. Her alt-country background behind her, she’s suddenly become a 50ft tall Suzi Quatro Glam Goddess, her vocal lines spat out casually like she’s singing while chewing gum. It’s remarkably assured, confident, sexy – everything boy-drool jangly country isn’t. It has attitude; God, it struts. The album drops off somewhat when we discover that Case is only a peripheral member drafted on to a sort of indiepop ‘supergroup’ featuring members of Some Bands. But the X-Factor kicks back in when she leads the Pornoblokes through a magnificent, super-charged ‘Letter From An Occupant’, and lingers lovingly around the colossal Weezer-eating ‘The Body Says No’. They lose points when we discover that the final track, ‘Breakin’ The Law’, isn’t a Glam Pop reading of the Judas Priest classic, but ‘Mass Romantic’ proves everything we’ve always suspected about pop but lost the conviction to believe in: The Monkees were better than The Beatles; Cheap Trick invented most music; the secret ingredient is ‘sass’.

Track Listing:-

1 Mass Romantic
2 The Fake Headlines
3 The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
4 Mystery Hours
5 Jackie
6 Letter From An Occupant
7 To Wild Homes
8 The Body Says No
9 Execution Day
10 Centre For Holy Wars
11 The Mary Martin Show
12 Breakin The Law

Label Links:-

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