The New Pornographers – Continue As a Guest

The New Pornographers have carved a great identity for themselves, flying the flag of power-pop from the other side of the aughts Canadian Invasion. If that has kept their music in a specific vein, it’s still quality, enjoyable music, like on Continue As a Guest.

Their third album since the departure of Dan Bejar to focus full-time on his own Destroyer, there is a certain similarity in sound on Guest, both within the record and with prior releases. That catchy, epic modern power-pop finds its peak with “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies”, as it adds in the songwriter A.C. Newman’s wry, highbrow humor and singer Neko Case’s powerful vocals. The album as a whole is more of a swayer than their more active earlier records, from the hope of “Really Really Light” to the finish of “Wish Automatic Suite”.

Other than seemingly more prominence to the saxophone, Continue As a Guest continues The New Pornographers powerful indie-pop.