New Pornographers: The Former Site Of (Peak vinyl edition/indie exclusive/coloured) LP

"The Former Site Of" finds The New Pornographers expanding their already rich catalogue in surprising fashion. Joined by legendary session drummer Charley Drayton (Divinyls, Keith Richards, Fiona Apple), the space contained in a New Pornographers song has never been this clearly articulated or generously textured, giving a distinct pulse to the characters whose lives spill out in bandleader A.C. Newman's tender, evocative lyrics. The New Pornographers are creating universes of intricately textured sound and narrative detail, every layer keyed to reveal an unexpected new facet. As on their previous album "Continue As A Guest", one of the more readily apparent layers is the way a song forms itself around a featured instrument. On "The Former Site Of", it's a mandolin which, in Newman's hands, lends lead single "Votive" its sense of acceleration as it builds from the atmospheric sweep of its synth and keyboard opening to a classic, wide-open jam. Far from being the expected next chapter from The New Pornographers, "The Former Site Of" is an argument against expectation by a band that continues to evolve rather than rest on their laurels. Even in its darkest or most self-deprecating moments, there is an effervescence to the music here that is irresistible, an affirmation that the struggle of its characters and the listener is worth it.