Challengers (studio album) by The New Pornographers

best tracks: myriad harbour, unguided

From junodog4 02/18/2015 03:44

Not quite on par with their first 3.

From paladisiac 12/09/2011 19:23

i prefer their upbeat stuff, so this was a slight disappointment. Now, the slower-tempo'd songs are still catchy with multiple choruses, but they're just not the toe tappers like from the previous 3 albums. But you wouldn't know it from opener "my rights versus yours" which has a slow build, but the payoff is worth it with those neko harmonies and backing vox and the feel once again of multiple choruses. "all the things that go to make heaven and earth" is another song that recalls previous albums -- with its rapid procession, multiple choruses and lovely neko backing vocals -- as does stellar "mutiny, i promise you" (here' the mutiny neko promised you!). Mid-tempo "all the old showstoppers" is just as catchy as their earlier stuff (w/ neko!) except the instrumental parts blunt momentum. "challengers" is where you first notice the shift. Fronted beautifully by neko case [ 8-) ], it's a nicely, understated sort-of love song ("Another vision of us / We were the challengers of the unknown") that you won't find on the first 3 albums. Ballad "go places" is a warm invitation from neko to "come with me / go places". "failsafe", another neko-fronted number (she seems to hoard the ballads on this album), is another pr0n ballad, but falls flat. At least "unguided" has some energy with that organ synth and catchy chorus ("Something's unguided in the sky tonight..."), but goes on too long. Elsewhere, "myriad harbour" is a good, if a bit muddled, affair from bejar with only 1 chorus (shocker!) and harmonica that sounds a bit out of place. (Neko's the best part of that song, of course.) In summary, i like my porn served with a heaping helping of vim & vigor, and the down-tempo plays on challengers don't do as much for me. Bejar's pun song "entering white cecilia" falls flat with no strong new pr0n hook to sink into. Overall, i wish A.C. would up the beat and allow neko more front time on the upbeat numbers -- she's too strong and sultry of a personality to leave on comparatively-middling numbers like "failsafe" and "adventures in solitude"