AC Newman - The Slow Wonder

AC Newman - The Slow Wonder
Matador Records (2004)

Being a longtime fan of the New Pornographers I've inevitably been drawn to the band's members' solo work. With the inevitable purchase of ginger frontman AC Newman's new solo album Get Guilty, I've decided to take a look back at his previous release, The Slow Wonder.

This is an unashamed pop album, for the most part. Catchy hooks and memorable melodies make this a must-have for anyone that enjoyed any of the first three New Pornographers albums. Newman's sense of timing is impeccable here, with only a few missteps to cloud the overall product.

The album opens with "Miracle Drug", a bouncy ode to a rejected author... I think. The off-kilter lyrics combined with the undeniably catchy beat make this a short and enjoyable listen, though possibly not the best opener for the album.

Next up is "Drink To Me Babe Then". This slows things down, but definitely shows an extension of his work with his main band despite their hyperactive presence. The whistling bridge interspersed with wa-wa guitar is something one will try for days to get out of his or her head. The track continues the rhythmic lyrical style with off-the-beat lyric lines and building repetition.

"On The Table" is fairly successful, though it tries to capture the hyper style of his main body of work. Aside from the repetition of the title, which is rather annoying, this is another poppy track.

Two of the best tracks follow this, "Most of Us Prizefighters" and "The Battle for Straight Time". Despite differing in tempo, both are forward-driving tracks with larger-than-life hooks, and are very difficult to not at least nod along to, since as everyone knows, indie fans aren't allowed to dance. Note, my tongue was firmly in my cheek for that previous statement.

"Secretarial" is an excessively repetitive filler track that is only saved by a catchy synth line, and then just barely.

"Come Crash" brings the tempo down as a mostly piano-based ballad with the wide-eyed teenager inside weeping over the line "Christine, come crash on my floor." This is the first track of the album that features the trumpet, but not the last, and it improves each song it's on. It serves as background here except for a brief solo, but comes into the forefront in "The Cloud Prayer", an acoustic track with heavy percussion hits. The trumpet blows into a full legato solo for the entire second half of the song, and it. is. *awesome*.

The intervening song between those two, "Better Than Most" is a song that nearly begs to be skipped, despite interesting rhythmic and melodic devices. It just doesn't work. Sorry AC.

"The Town Halo" opens with a cello bass line that wouldn't work well anywhere else, but this song makes it work, along with pounding western saloon piano and a background chorus. The song is just fun, and it's hard not to like.

The album closes with "35 in the Shade" which is obviously Celsius rather than Fahrenheit, or the song wouldn't make a damn bit of sense. It's okay though, he's Canadian. A driving tom beat and jangly piano introduce this closer, which is another bouncy almost 60's-like song, and while not one of the best songs on the album, still a strong entry.

Overall, the album is excellent with only a single big misstep to be found. Granted, I'm predisposed to like the album as a fan of Newman's other work, but even without that background, this stands on its own as a solid - albeit short - pop album.

**** (out of 5)