IN REVIEW: Sloan - "Parallel Play"

When a band you love starts to wear out their welcome, it's a sad thing. Take Weezer, who've released an album that's raking in more pity than positivity. As disheartening as it is, sometimes your favourite bands... well, for lack of better terms, go bad. And, it almost happened to Sloan.

When A-Sides Win, their 2005 best-of was released, it couldn't have come at a better time. Sloan hadn't released a great effort in seven years, with three passable-to-mediocre albums in a row (Between the Bridges, Pretty Together and Action Pact) threatening to thrust them headlong into the dump bins of our hearts. Sure, those albums weren't outright bad, but they just lacked something. Soul, drive, determination. Maybe they knew it, maybe they didn't, but on record the band didn't really seem fully into it anymore. It happens to the best of us.

That best-of seemed to reignite their creativity, resulting in the staggering 30-song set Never Hear the End of It in 2006. It wasn't a bad album at all; to be fair, some of their finer moments are on that album. The problem was, there was such a reckless abandon to the disc's musical direction that it was difficult to find any semblance of flow. After a while, it just became a disjointed, massive orgy of sound that made the experience kind of the audio equivalent of trying to have a conversation with someone across a crowded bar.

Thankfully, they've toned that aspect down on Parallel Play. It's still diverse, but it's stripped down to 13 tracks, making for a more concisely constructed listening experience. The band is still very much versed by classic rock, but it seems as though they've abandoned the practice of previous albums' decade-specific sound (i.e., One Chord to Another was the 60's, Navy Blues the 70's). It's a rich pallet of songs this time around, encompassing all the tasty riffs and soaring hooks of rock's history. Highlights include lead single "Believe in Me", which carries a T. Rex swagger and those awesome Sloan harmonies. "Emergency 911" is a meaty, punk-inspired head-bobber. "Burn for It" is a surprising throwback to early-90's fuzz rock. Then, there's "Living the Dream", an astonishingly catchy acoustic number. "The Other Side" is arena-sized and psychadelic simultaneously. And, if that wasn't enough, Bob Dylan's evoked in "Down in the Basement". At all points in between, there are lots of fun detours through other styles and time periods. However, as far-reaching musically as it is, the old Sloan trademarks are fully intact, especially their impeccable sense of harmony. They're still equal members as a band, too; all four members get at least three songs here (helping influence the album's title), and all four members knock one or two of them out of the park.

It might not have the bombast of Navy Blues, the raw power of Twice Removed or the master songcraft of One Chord to Another, but it's consistence is astounding considering how wildly inconsistent the sound is. Suffice to say, if you're a fan of this band who's been yearning for them to get their shit together, stop meandering and rediscover their passion for music, Parallel Play is a colossal success.

8 GREAT
Release Date: June 10, 2008 • Murderecords/Sony