The Double Cross
Sloan, one of Canada’s finest groups for the past twenty years, is back with their tenth album, the quick and concise *The Double Cross*, where the band shows its knack for a pop hook is second to none. Bassist Chris Murphy’s “Follow the Leader” kicks things off with a sound in perfect league with Squeeze. Guitarist Jay Ferguson’s “The Answer Was You” comes creeping with its Mellotron chasing the tight-knit harmonies. Lead guitarist Patrick Petland throws in the sliced and diced power pop of “Unkind.” Even drummer Andrew Scott contributes two tracks, including the bristling shuffle of “Traces.” With four songwriters in the group and talented vocalists all around, Sloan can pull off anything they desire. Power- pop and psychedelia, however, are their preferred interests and “Your Daddy Will Do” explores another way the Beach Boys could have taken their post *Pet Sounds* material. The sweet ballad “Green Gardens, Cold Montreal” is further proof of just how great this band can be.
In 1991 Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott formed Sloan in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. In those days, the band’s sound had a lot in common with the guitar-heavy art rock of bands like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Their first record, the Peppermint E.P., introduced Canadians to “Underwhelmed”, a song that prompted listeners to consider the importance of grammar and spelling in the formation of a successful relationship. The success of Peppermint caused Sloan to be snapped up by Geffen records, the label that released the full-length Smeared and promoted the band as Canada’s answer to Nirvana. A rerecorded version of “Underwhelmed” was released as a single and hit #25 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart. Today, with the Arcade Fire winning Grammy awards and Drake and Justin Bieber being all over television, radio and every other media source, it might be tough to recall a time when Canadian music existed in the shadow of the U.S. and the U.K. But it’s not a stretch to say that Sloan was instrumental – fundamental, even – in creating Canada’s current music scene. Back then, pundits pegged Halifax as “the new Seattle”, when everyone was trying to discover and claim the next big thing. With Sloan’s own Murderecords label at its heart, Canada’s East Coast became one of the most vibrant music scenes of the ‘90s. Bands like Eric’s Trip, the Super Friendz, Hardship Post, and Thrush Hermit released singles on Murderecords before being snapped up by American labels. They toured together, named each other in interviews and created excitement about Canadian music, nationally and internationally. With their second album, Twice Removed, Sloan started showing the depth of their musical influences, moving away from the big guitar sound of their early days. This change didn’t sit well with their American label, but it marked a new era for the band and became one of their most highly regarded albums (it’s topped Chart magazine’s best Canadian albums list twice). No less a cultural touchstone than the Trouser Press Guide (“the bible” of alternative rock since 1983) glowed over the album’s “carefully intertwined, spaciously electric arrangements, evanescent ‘60s harmonies and trickier rhythms.” Perhaps more important than critical acclaim is the loyal audience that Sloan has accrued over the years. In the ‘90s, when the internet was picking up steam, Sloan’s audience found a home in Sloan Net, an active forum where all things Sloan-related were discussed. This chance for fans to connect with the band and with each other bred a connection that few bands achieve. And now, ten studio albums, a double live album (4 Nights at the Palais Royale), and countless singles later, Sloan present The Double Cross. It’s everything we’ve come to love about Sloan. They span genres and styles, from gentle, acoustic ballads to some of the most up-tempo rock songs they’ve ever written. While each song can be attributed to a specific singer, songs like Andrew’s “She’s Slowing Down Again” and Jay’s “The Answer Was You” bring in Chris for the bridge, a signature technique that never fails to elevate their songs from good to great. “Ten records,” says Patrick, “I don’t think it’s enough. I think we’ll do some more.” “I’m happy that we’ve been able to continue making strong records that I really like this far into our career,” adds Jay. And this far into their career, Sloan’s influence has infiltrated Canadian music, even in some seemingly unlikely places. Everyone from Fucked Up’s Damian Abraham to k-os, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew to Billy Talent’s Ben Kowalewicz, has gone on record to acknowledge Sloan’s influence on their music. These aren’t people who set about trying to imitate Sloan or even approximate their sound; they are fans who heard Sloan’s songs and felt inspired to take a chance on their own music. It’s hard to imagine a more fitting tribute to a band that’s written some of the best songs of the past 20 years. Four men, ten albums, twenty incredible years: ladies and gentlemen, Sloan! Select Discography 1992: Peppermint E.P. 1993: Smeared 1994: Twice Removed 1996: One Chord to Another 1998: Navy Blues 1999: 4 Nights at the Palais Royale (Live) Between the Bridges 2001: Pretty Together 2003: Action Pact 2006: Never Hear the End of It 2008: Parallel Play 2009: Hit and Run E.P. 2011: The Double Cross Following their most critically-acclaimed albums to date, -- SPIN called Never Hear the End of It, "the best British Invasion best-of you've never heard," and Pitchfork called Parallel Play "almost flawless" -- Canadian pop iconoclasts Sloan are ready to celebrate. Their recent albums would be reason enough but 2011 marked the twentieth anniversary of the band, and how better to honor such an occasion than a brand new album prolific with power pop gems? Sloan delivers just that with their 10th album The Double Cross, a titular shout-out to the band's 20th (or XX) anniversary. The album kicks off as awesome as universal healthcare with "Follow the Leader" and the sure-fire sync license riffage of "Unkind."
Twenty years in, these Canadians still know how to do power pop right, and this brief and varied LP is one of their best.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the latest album by Canadian power-pop favorite Sloan, unless it’s a problem for a band to retrace its own steps. Titled The Double Cross in honor of Sloan’s 20th (or XXth) anniversary, the new record clocks in at a tight 34 minutes (like 2008’s brisk Parallel Play), consists…
Returning to normal operations after a three-year hiatus, Sloan offer a few new wrinkles on The Double Cross -- the polyester-draped “Your Daddy Will Do” salutes the ‘70s in a suitably spangly disco fashion, there’s a hint of delicate pastoral folk on “Green Gardens, Cold Montreal” -- but the group doesn’t stray from the pop collage of 2006’s Never Hear the End of It. Each of the 12 cuts lands somewhere between an homage and invention, the four singer/songwriters of Sloan splicing together their deep record collections in ways familiar and fresh. An organ may bring Dylan to mind, harmonies may recall the Beatles, yet these allusions are deployed with knowing winks in songs that don’t explicitly sound like their influences. Sloan are craftsman who weld their good taste into charming miniatures, and if The Double Cross retains a hint of familiarity -- not due to the source material but rather the workmanship -- the group’s level of skill assures that this is as comfortably satisfying as its predecessors.