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Collectives in U.S indie music seem to be deeply in vogue right now. The communal joining of musicians in these quasi-‘Supergroups’ every couple of years to make an album together is a heart-warming throw back to the 60s and myriad groups formed by a number of talented musicians in those simpler times. The New Pornographers were amongst the first of these modern collectives to spring up, set up as a kind of folly by de facto band leader A.C Newman in the ashes of his lovable psych-pop combo Zumpano. This album comes at an interesting time for the band, with the two other key participants Neko Case and Dan Bejar having made their career finest solo records last year, reducing the need to gather around Newman’s songs and perform.
Bejar’s 'Destroyer' especially last year created the idiosyncratic, elegant minor masterpiece 'Destroyer’s Rubies', solidifying his place as a blog-god. Similarly, Newman’s solo album which preceded The New Pornographer's last, utterly breathtaking album 'Twin Cinema' was another superlative affair, mining a more personal and emotionally rich vein than much of the Pornographers work. So the question really is, why another Pornographers record when the day jobs are proving so fruitful?
Once you’ve listened to 'Challengers' however, you realise the utter impotence of that question. The music held within this wonderful album is the exact fruit-of-labour you’d always dream to hear from a ‘supergroup’. It combines the great elements of each main player; Case’s gorgeous, homely voice, Bejar’s obtuse epicism and Newman’s hard candy pop symphonies. The melding of the three and their separation on other tracks gives the album and all encompassing musical feeling. A couple fall into by numbers affairs for the band (‘All The Tings That Go Make Heaven and Earth’, ‘Mutiny, I Promise You’), but retain the dizzying pop confection they played into oblivion on Twin Cinema. Each key member has their own fine moment in the sun, unlike the supremely Newman-ised predecessors. Case is utterly beguiling on the beautiful title track which sounds like a cynical modern hymn, her Bobbie Gentry styled country pipes rolling around Newman’s ambitious, profound words. Newman himself also has a moment to truly shine on ‘Unguided’, his own string-drenched vision of a lighters-aloft epic.
But the star is Bejar, finally stepping out of Newman’s shadow and creating some of his best ever works. ‘Entering White Cecilia’ is overtly sexual and less impressive in its inability to musically express the filthy nature of the lyrics, but his other two contributions are highlights. ‘Myriad Harbour’ defines his skewed pop sense while ‘Spirit Of Giving’ (adapted from an old Destroyer song) is just a gorgeous, openly upbeat closer for this warm, organic sounding record. The employment of the string section across the album and eschewing of electronics and synths has made a rustic, summery set of indie symphonies, as skewiff and beautiful as could be hoped. Perhaps a lack of emotion, of personal openness within the songs weakens its overall impact but this remains a fine, addictive record to drink in during our globally-warmed summer months.
