Looks like they're getting slightly better with their album cover art too...

No songs written by Neko or am I missing something?

There never are.

Excellent news, thanks. This band is 4 for 4 with their albums. Hope the streak continues with the new one.

My mistake, I guess I never really looked at their song writing credits...I had always assumed she wrote the songs she sang lead on.

Either way really looking forward to this, I know challengers was seen as a let down by some but I really loved it, prolly my favorite by them (blasphemy i know).

Yeah, I am stoked for this. Great line of guest musicians, I really like all three of the main guests.

I'm diggin' the pix.

Thank god

Even though it's only January, May might be shaping up to be a pretty good month of music.

I could do without the guest stars, but this is good news.

Sweetness.

As long as Carl/AC gives Neko some upbeat numbers to sing this time...all her songs on "Challengers" were sloooow.

Really? Why? Its seems like all the guest starts would good fits.

This thread has prompted me to go on a NP bender. What a great band.

looking forward to these new Dan Bejar songs, and then deleting everything else

AC Newman is obviously a good and pleasant songwriter, but he's so disposable/inessential aside from a few stand outs.

I don't at all concur, but I'm definitely looking forward to the Bejar tracks. All of my favorite songs of his are from Pornos albums, minus "Hey, Snow White" (which was, of course, eventually covered by the band in question). Eagerly anticipating. Trying to keep my expectations in check, too, as I really doubt that this is, like, going to be the second coming.

They're just unnecessary. The NPs are already a collection of artists/supergroup, as it is. I wouldn't consider myself a fan nor a detractor of either guy, but I don't see how Zach Condon or Will Sheff would add anything or even be especially good fits on a NP record.

Also, I'm with Useless on that. Still, hoping for the best. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised.

exactly.

more From Blown Speaker's/The Laws Have Changed and less Go Places

Aw, "Go Places" was killer! I know what y'all mean, though, and pretty much agree.

3 Bejar songs too many.

About 9 short on Bejar songs on this one, if you ask me.

New Destroyer record, please.

Newman vs. Bejar, check. Ranking of previous efforts in 5-4-3.....

A lot of Challengers was gorgeous but some more upbeat songs would be welcome, yes.

Ha...he annoys me almost as much as Animal Collective. Almost.

Yeah, even her Challengers songs were great. But I need another "Laws Have Changed."

Am I the only one here who likes Neko's NP work more than her solo stuff?

just went back through Challengers... it's better than i remember by quite a bit, BUT, i do agree it could use a few more uptempo power-pop/rockers

You're most definitely not, as I'm here. I GREATLY prefer both her and Bejar's Pornos stuff to their solo/Destroyer/non-Pornos output. To be fair, though, Neko doesn't write any songs for the Pornos, so that's basically me saying that I prefer Newman's songs to her songs. Her solo joints are generally fine, to my ears.

Also, I think that the three weakest tracks on Challengers are "All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth," "Mutiny, I Promise You," and "Unguided," making two of my three the two by-the-numbers-TNP tracks. I thought that those first two sounded like a band which wasn't so sold on that sound, anymore, and the performances sounded flat and tired and, to my dismay, kind of boring. The swooning, more indie-baroque-precious stuff sounded a lot more vibrant. I wonder if they've still got an LP of Electric Version songs in them, these days. I guess that time will tell.

Yeah, between that and Newman's last solo record we can pretty much not expect to hear anything like Electric Version again. Which is as it should be, I think.

Yeah the ballads on the last album were most of the best songs imo. "Challengers" was amazing, Go Places, Adventures in Solitude... great chunes. I'd agree that the peppy old skool NP tracks felt a bit hollow, though I enjoyed all the songs on the record except for Mutiny I Promise You, which I mean cmon guys, that song just sucks asshole, one of the worst song titles of all time too. If they came out on this new album with Ballad City I would be pretty pleased. Throw out the old school bullshit and grow the fuck up. And please write some lyrics that aren't cloying whimsical nonsense. Thought they showed a bit of progress on that front with the last record.

says the man who can't stomach any contra-criticism.

haha I can stomach the criticism, I just think the nonchalant dismissive attitude some people have about them is a joke in light of them crushing the sophomore album. and their lyrics definitely have more of a focus than the NP's.

co-signed



I like Neko's in NP better than solo.

either way, i was gonna post in the contra thread that i'm glad that vw hit number one, especially since they, if anything, dialed up the quirk this time around. good on them, regardless of my preferences. now if only the np's would do the same...

new song 'Your Hands (Together)'

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/201...ther-right-now/

it's a pretty nice rockin' affair with a great Neko/Carl dual vocals.

I dig this new tune. Sounds like old school New Pornographers.

back on track

agreed.

as a fan of their first 2 albums way more than the latter 2 (esp. the last), this is a welcome track for me.

I've been down on this band over the years (not at the beginning), but have heard some songs come up on shuffle from some of their albums I didn't like and enjoyed them more. These songs were the Newman tunes. I've always loved Bejar's contributions to New Pornographers the most. Not a giant fan of his work outside of the band, but something about him and his songs in this band are magical for me.

Liking the new track - is this just available to stream or am I not downloading it correctly?

Excellent new track. More rocking than anything on Challengers, which is a good thing.

I'm the opposite. I like the two most recent the best, particularly Twin Cinema.

The new track sounds like Sweet. Nice!

downloaded it - yep, still good.

Yo tambien.

I think overall as a complete album Challengers is my favorite, but the older albums have better individual songs. I'm hoping this new album is a healthy mix of the older sound and the newer.

Song's all right, I say. Not doing anything special for me. Still, very much looking forward to this. Cautiously, but still.

This is one of those bands that I've always ignored for no good reason. I even like AC Newman and Neko Case's albums quite a bit. New song sounds good, hopefully this album will get me to listen to the rest of the discog.

Hurry, there isn't time!