Album Review: The New Pornographers, The Former Site Of

The New Pornographers initially considered changing their name, after longtime drummer Joe Seiders pleaded guilty to offences relating to child pornography last year. They immediately cut ties with Seiders, and all his drum parts on this 10th album were re-recorded with session drummer to the stars, Charlie Drayton (Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones). “It seemed to me, if you don’t want to talk about it, the best thing you could do was just continue with our name,” frontman AC Newman told Rolling Stone.

If you didn’t know this sordid tale, you wouldn’t intuit it from the band’s 10th album, which is a gorgeous, meditative collection of songwriting about life in the 21st century. Standout ‘Wish You Could See Me I’m Killing It’ confirms Newman as a powerful songwriter. It’s a grown-up confessional, as the protagonist lays flowers on his parents’ grave and updates them on his life, Newman’s soft, almost whispered vocal lending it an understated power.

Newman and Neko Case trade vocals on the strident ‘Great Princess Story’, the heartbreaking ‘Bonus Mai Tais’ and the gorgeous ‘Ballad Of The Last Payphone’ – the latter amongst the finest songs in their repertoire.

‘Spooky Action’ is tender, gentle and lovely, while recent single ‘Votive’ starts slowly, but builds up, with a guitar lick that wouldn’t be out of place on vintage Go Betweens. The slick ‘Calligraphy’ is like Beck at his most laidback, while the powerful title track is like Decemberists jamming with Death Cab.

An excellent album.

8.5/10