Liveblogging: Sloan -'Parallel Play'

1) "Believe In Me" (Patrick) - This song makes about three different attempts at starting before it gets off the ground but once it does it's probably one of the strongest Patrick songs in a while. A good jangle is always nicely offset by a rippin' solo. After that intro it doesn't really waste any time either.

2) "Cheap Champagne" (Jay) - Oh hey speaking of not wasting time, this song caught me off guard. I love when Jay lets an instrument other than the guitar lead his song, and while the acoustic guitars in this one are nice, they're really playing sidemen to the piano, which matches the hook nicely. "Ba-ba-dups" are a little intrusive.

3) "All I Am Is All You're Not" (Chris) - Okay now it's starting to get a little grating that there are no separations between tracks but there are no real transitions either, so it's just sharp and very jarring. Chris sounds a little more nasal on this one than I'd like and the chorus doesn't bite as hard as I'd like it to, but it exudes this air of low-key menace that kind of reminds me of the Stones.

4) "Emergency 911" (Andrew) - HOLY SHIT SO BADASS, GOD DAMN I LOVE ANDREW. And Andrew loves the Stooges. Such a great, badass, bluesy punk tune he's got here. Also, I don't think I heard any handclaps on "Believe In Me" but this is the third song in a row with 'em for sure.

5) "Burn For It" (Patrick) - Woah, this one takes me back. It sounds a lot like something that would have been on Smeared if it were a little more scuzzy. Not the strongest song on the record but oh wait that's some glam piano bashin' which is my number one weakness. Okay it gets a pass. You're lucky this time, Patrick.

6) "Witches Wand" (Jay) - Oh man, it's Belle & Sebastian. You know, the thing about Sloan - wait did he just say "facing the dragon" this song is totally about drugs - the thing about Sloan is that even if I say "Oh this sounds like Belle & Sebastian," it doesn't, really. It sounds like Sloan. This song hits on the AM radio rock sort of sound that B&S were playing with on The Life Pursuit but they've still got that dude-harmony, glasses-and-scarf, wicked-lightshow, instrument-switching rock'n'roll Sloan aesthetic behind it that tells you that what you're listening to is and will always inarguably be a Sloan song, no questions asked. So yeah, I like this song.

7) "The Dogs" (Andrew) - Andrew's songs on the last record threw me for a loop because he seemed to be going for this really awesome 70's psychedelic vibe, and that's what he's going for here, I think. It doesn't have the propulsion of "Golden Eyes" but it's a really neat, woozy sort of tune. It's also the longest on the album - at four minutes. What were you expecting? It's Sloan! The keyboards in the background are really nice - this is a big spacey rock song, definite hood-of-the-car-lookin'-at-the-stars-after-makin'-out-with-your-high-school-sweetie music.

8) "Living The Dream" (Chris) - What the hell? What's going on with the percussion in this song? It's kind of annoying but when the tambourine kicks in it's rad. Once again Chris has not turned in his strongest material on this record but the chorus-like bit has a really great hook and this is a super-upbeat song about total disillusionment. "I don't dream for a living / I'm just living the dream" is a nice line.

9) "The Other Side" (Patrick) - Another track that would be right at home on Smeared, except that the guitars in it sound EFFING HUGE. Which is great, of course. Also, this is another strong Patrick song. Three in a row! Good show, Patrick. I bet this one is really great live.

10) "Down In The Basement" (Andrew) - There better be a fucking harmonica solo in this song or I will be declaring it a missed opportunity. It's a really great rollicking electric blues song. Probably getting a lot of Dylan comparisons but there's nothing wrong with that, especially since these are hands down the strongest lyrics on the record. NO BLUES HARMONICA = MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

11) "If I Could Change Your Mind" (Jay) - Jay has been listening to some serious yacht rock I guess. Those "Oooohs," so smooth! Yeah this definitely has Michael MacDonald written all over it. Not a bad thing but probably Jay's weakest song on this record. There's an old adage, though, that goes, "A weak Sloan song is a hundred bands' strongest songs." That applies here.

12) "I'm Not A Kid Anymore" (Chris) - Chris' strongest entry this record. The bridge in the middle of the song has some great harmonies and rad, sloppy power chords, which is the second time Sloan has gone that route this record. The old "just keep the acoustic guitar in the quiet bits" is great. Okay Chris, you've redeemed yourself. And by that I mean I never stopped loving you. Please be my dad.

13) "Too Many" (Andrew) - Andrew knows how to open a song - "Let's get one thing straight!" His hippie streak continues in this song but it's forgivable because it's catchy, though its placement as the last song is an absolutely awful idea. It's a little too low-key for a closing song. Actually I just talked to Tommy and he called it "reggae" which explains it. I hate reggae so much. SO MUCH

So that's the new Sloan record! Overall I think it's pretty good. Not their best, and probably not a great entry point for anyone unless they are exclusively interested in the works of Patrick and Andrew.