12

After 27 years and 12 albums together, you can’t blame Canadian alt-pop kings Sloan for getting a little self-deprecating: “There’s only so much time we can kill here/Before we start to spin our wheels,” Chris Murphy sings on *12*’s opener. But spinning their wheels clearly isn’t part of the plan. With each member contributing three songs here, Sloan\'s tight-hooked power pop is a well-oiled—but constantly evolving—machine. Stomping guitar rock (“All of the Voices”) and jaunty Beatlesque pop (“Essential Services”) might provide *12*’s through-line, but check out “Gone for Good” for an excursion into languid \'70s soft rock and “44 Teenagers” for a Pink Floyd-style meditation on Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie’s passing.

Their influence can be heard throughout Canadian Indie-Rock over the last 25 years, now Sloan return with glorious harmonies to spare for their twelfth album.

12 was released a quarter-century after Sloan released their debut album, 1993's Smeared.

Sloan's contribution to the current state of Canadian music is likely not what it should be. In their 27 years as a band, they've steadily r...

The last time Sloan did a back-to-basics album, 2008's Parallel Play, the results were. just fine