29 Comments
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Songletter's avatar

Great! it's cool to see how the band has evolved over the years.

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Matty C's avatar

What a fantastic record.

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Andy's avatar

Really enjoying this new album. TNP eluded me for a while. I've been more of a fan of Neko Case solo albums but the two recent TNP records have been so good!

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Bob's avatar

I was at their first show ever opening for a band called the Beekeepers at a little pub in downtown Vancouver. It was my 28th birthday and I had no idea who they were, only that Carl had been in a semi famous local band called Superconductor . I had already heard Destroyer's ' City Of Daughters' on the recomendation of a guy who wrote for an awesome weekly called Terminal City that was around back then and I loved the acid folkiness of it. I've been a huge fan of Destoyer as well ever since, seen them live many times all over. I'm sure others have similar stories but I also remember meeting Dan on Granville St right when they were finishing up Mass Romantic and him telling me about this "supergroup" he was in and how they had just finished up the album. When Mass Romantic came out my girlfriend and I must've listened to it all summer. I've seen them live many times but those early shows were so ecstatic. After all these years one of my favourite songs of all time remains 'Execution Day'. My band even did a cover of it back in the day. I no longer live in Vancouver like a lot of the band but my daughter who's grown now loves them and this album as much as I did back then. I'm a fan of their other records but they say your first love always stays with you. I saw them perform in Peterborough ON last summer all stripped down and it was like some sort of weird family reunion. Young people were dancing and having a good time. Brought back a lot of memories.

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Andrew Paul Koole's avatar

Fellow former Vancouverite! I hear you with this line: "I'm a fan of their other records but they say your first love always stays with you."

For the same reason, I'm partial to Twin Cinema.

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Bob's avatar

Love that record as well. I was living in Saskatchewan at that point. Always reminds me of that winter I spent on the prairie. Favourite song on that record is 'Falling Through Your clothes'.

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Andrew Paul Koole's avatar

In similar fashion, I trailed behind you geographically, too. In Alberta now.

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Bob's avatar

Blaine Thurier, the bands ex-keyboardist has made some great films as a director. One of them used to be on YouTube in full. Carl and Dan from the TNP starred in his first film called 'Low Self-Esteem Girl'. Shout out to their awesome first drummer Kurt Dahle whatever he's doing. He reminded me of Keith Moon a little bit back in the day. Also much respect to the production of Mass Romantic. It was kitchen sink Phil Spector greatness.

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Steve Goldberg's avatar

I’m gonna try and find his films online- thanks for the tip!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

"Kitchen sink Phil Spector greatness" is just a fantastic line! Also, thanks fo rhte tip about Thurier- I didn't know he was a filmmaker!

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Terry Barr's avatar

It's on my list!!!

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Steve Goldberg's avatar

I was such a fanboy for Mass Romantic and a lot had to do with the state of my life at the time. It was a balm and a best friend. I can appreciate and even really like the NP later stuff but it never goes as deep as Mass Romantic for me.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Maybe more than a lot of bands, I tend to toe each of NP's records to very specific times in my life.

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Matt Berenson's avatar

New Pornographers and A.C. Newman solo albums were all top tier for me in the 00s . "Electric Version", "Twin Cinema", and the first two A.C. Newman especially. You've inspired me to listen to the new NP album again. I already know for sure that I like it, but I didn't spend enough time with it to figure out how much. Also, I though Newman's band before NP was Zumpano. I've never heard Superconductor per fellow traveler below. Will have to look into them.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

The new one took me a couple of spins before it really took hold for me. I'm gonna have to look into Superconductor too.

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miter's avatar

An all-timer. The transition to the outro gets me every time. I haven't listened to this record in-full in years, though "letter from an occupant" is permanently implanted in my head. I have this thing (which is dumb) where sometimes I don't want to listen to a band's new record because I love the old one so much, I'm worried a new one will tarnish it. But with NP they've got enough good records and enough time to make it all warranted. Still gotta listen to the new one.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

That's not dumb at all! I tend to do that to w/some groups.

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Kiley Larsen's avatar

Alright, if you've got the new one as your AOTY right now, I need to give it a chance. Think between Dan Bejar not being on it and the load of albums that came out on that last day in March, it slipped through the cracks for me.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

There's a lot of 2023 left, but it's one of my AOTY frontrunners for sure.

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Lance Richardson's avatar

We covered "Sing Me Spanish Techno" in a band I used to drum and do some of the vocals in. We were not like most cover bands... but I imagine you'd already figured that out.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Fantastic! That's one of my favorites by them. I don't suppose there's a link to that anywhere?

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Lance Richardson's avatar

I wish. It might still be on some Southern California bar fly's phone somewhere. I think we did a pretty good version, but I'm biased.

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Norman's avatar

Good timing, my son and I were just talking about this album yesterday and I put it in my car's CD player this morning. Mass Romantic is my son's favourite New Pornographers album. I like the album but I am terrible at grading albums, I like it is the extent of my commitment. I've seen them live numerous times, followed side projects and enjoy their new material as much as the older stuff.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Hard to grade a band like this when most everything is top-notch!

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Challenge 69's avatar

Love this, don't really know TNPs but will give the new album a try (and potentially work backwards frm there!)

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Here’s a playlist made from their recent set list in Milwaukee. It’s not a comprehensive deep dive, but they did play some thing from every record.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vIGP1UgfHu9i65ri3DSmK?si=EeT9MlSETg6zV0zBI4_-Ww

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Justin Steiner's avatar

Fantastic song, of course, and still their best opening track, I think. Sounded great in concert last weekend too. The song that's lingered in my head the most from that show is "Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile"...those "woo"s get me every time.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Me too! And I'm still bummed I missed their MKE show. FWIW, I made a playlist based on that's show's setlist. I'm guessing it's pretty close to what you got to see, but it's here if you want to check it out:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vIGP1UgfHu9i65ri3DSmK?si=b6baf0b4fdad4161

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Justin Steiner's avatar

Yes, very similar. We didn't get "Slow Descent Into Alcoholism" but did get "Moves" and "Testament" was in the encore before "Bleeding Heart Show."

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