A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder

First and foremost, if you consider yourself a New Pornographers fan and don't already own this, stop calling yourself a fan until you go out and pick it up. AC (Carl) Newman is the lead songwriter for that lovely indie pop band, and it certainly shows on his solo debut. For those of you who aren't familiar with the New Pornographers and need a little more insight into The Slow Wonder, let me attempt to assist you in figuring out what to expect here. This record is a quick 34 minutes of a hefty blend of upbeat pop numbers and somewhat introspective, languid, almost ballad like tracks. "Miracle Drug," "On The Table," "The Battle for Straight Time," and "The Town Halo" are probably the most danceable tunes on the disc.. while "Come Crash," "The Cloud Prayer," and "Most Of Us Prizefighters" are more the steady, upper body sway-inducing numbers. The best part of this disc is that when properly appreciated, every track can bring a smile to your face. This is the type of music that brings the indie girls off their bar stools and kindly requests them to give it their all down in front. The blend of piano, clean guitars, driving drums, and Newman's instantly recognizable sweet voice are bound to lighten your day a bit. On the flip side to this, when Newman decides to slow it down and bare a little bit of himself, it really seems to come across as a legitimate sentiment rather than the overdose of overly dramatic rock you're bound to see in the commercial realm these days. Hopefully one day AC Newman will be recognized for his prolific songwriting that rarely hits a sour note. Obviously, I don't recommend this one for those of you who are exclusively pursuing the likes of bands like Lightning Bolt or Cannibal Corpse, but anyone who appreciates a well written song with a bit of good feeling that comes with it, this one would be hard to miss out on. [www.acnewman.net]