More like the New Bore-ographers, amirite?

Photo by Optically Active

Despite what the critics would have you believe, the new New Pornographers song is formulaic, boring and to these ears, totally unsurprising; no one wants to admit it, but 2005’s Twin Cinema was pretty lackluster, too.

The band’s juggernaut status isn’t hard to understand with Dan “Destroyer” Bejar and Neko Case involved, and I can’t deny that A.C. Newman has written some really excellent songs. Really excellent songs that are all pretty much the same and happen to be written in a fairly limited style. At this point, it’s like dude’s been writing the same song over and over for a half-decade and doesn’t know what to do with it anymore.

And honestly, compared to Bejar and Case, Newman couldn’t write (or sing) his way out of a cardboard box — put on Destroyer’s Rubies or Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and then ask yourself, “Do I really like The Slow Wonder?”

I’m sure the album will have some gems, but I don’t know, guys. I’m hoping that this is the album where the band stops getting a free pass from critics. (Aside: OMG a negative blog post! What next, a review without MP3s?) But give it a listen and see what you think. Me, I’m putting Rubies back on.

The New Pornographers – “My Rights Vs. Yours”: mp3

(Challengers is due August 21 on Matador)

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