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.

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