Twin Cinemas

The new album from Canadian pop supergroup The New Pornographers, Twin Cinemas, came out last week. And it's exceptionally good. It hasn't quite been enough time for me to decide if I like it more than their 2000 debut, Mass Romantic, but it's clearly the most ambitious group of songs they've ever put together. And it's greatly improved from 2003's Electric Version.



I first heard the Pornographers around the time Mass Romantic came out. I believe, if I recall correctly, that they were a recommendation of my younger brother, whose musical tastes are similar, if a bit more sophisticated, than mine. Anyway, they're awesome, a really talented group of musicians, singers and songwriters whose music is the dictionary definition of "infectious."

You can listen to the entire new album streaming online at this site, set up by Matador Records, which amusingly is designed to copy an IMDB movie page. Also, check out their official site to see the video for the first single from Twin Cinemas, "Use It." It's a very odd music video, directed by the group's keyboard player Blaine Thurier, and it features a cameo by indie rock's favorite comedian, David Cross.

The album still has an undercurrent of the sugary, hook-laden pop of Mass Romantic, but it's far more complex, lengthy and dense. The songs have shifted from 2.5 minute pop gems into soaring 4 or 5 minute rock anthems. It's kind of a combination of the earlier Pornos albums and A.C. Newman's solo effort from last year, The Slow Wonder. I've been listening to nothing but this album and the new (and similarly terrific) new Broken Social Scene LP all week.

My favorite songs for the moment are the bouncy "Sing Me Spanish Techno" and the woozy "Falling Through Your Clothes," but it changes every few moments. This is a really great collection of indie pop songs; one of my favorite albums this year so far.