published: 6 /
9 /
2010
Canadian collective and indie pop group the New Pornographers divide opinion amongst music critics and fans. Tony Gaughan watches them play a forceful set at the Oran Mor in Glasgow
Article
This Canadian collective - I hate the term "superband" - features five or six musicians from various backgrounds and have been in existence for around ten years producing five albums to very mixed reviews ranging from bland to brilliance. I'm very much in the latter camp.
Fronted by Carl Newman following Neko Case's decision to stop touring with the band ,they breezed through an impressive collection from their new offering, this year's 'Together', and also their equally strong back catalogue.
Opener 'Sing Me Spanish Techno' from their 2005 third album 'Twin Cinema' showed a fairly harder live edge to their indie pop sound, as did recent single 'A Bit Out of My Head'.
'Twin Cinema' and the proggy-sounding 'Your Hands (Together)' were interspersed by idle chit chat by Newman and keyboard player Kathryn Calder which continued through the set adding a charm and warmth to the set.
The set of twenty songs included 'Crash Years', closer 'Bleeding Heart Show' from 'Twin Cinema' and the band topped it all off with a couple of encores including a brilliant finale of 'Slow Descent into Alcoholism' from their 2000 album 'Mass Romantic'.
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