Sloan - Navy Blues

8.0 - Canada - 1998

In which the erstwhile Can-Rockers get their most Beatly. Y'know, for all that's been said of Oasis's aping the Beatles (a terribly overstated, misguided point), this Halifax (NS, not Yorks.) quartet seemed to have been the Beatles cover band that Oasis proclaimed themselves to be, and nowhere is this better demonstrated on this group's fourth album, which sounds like some hybrid of Revolver and Abbey Road. The sound is very sixties (interestingly, Sloan's next album would take its cues more from the 70s). The guitars are thick, the harmonies are sweet, and the choruses are all sing-alongs.

If one were to further force the Beatles comparison, Chris Murphy and Patrick Pentland dominate the songwriting credits -- Murphy, the melodically-minded bassist with a goofy, but commercial sensibility is the McCartney of the operation which would make the more introspective Pentland the Lennon (albeit without the fire). Jay Ferguson -- the quiet one -- is the Harrison: only a couple of songs, but they're among the standouts (plus, unlike George, he has the best voice of the group). That leaves drummer Andrew Scott, and here's where the comparison breaks down. No Ringo is he! Compared to previous records, Scott's presence is more pronounced here. Sure, his voice isn't as sweet as the others, but he has the best lyrics -- frequently Sloan songs are not nearly as clever as they pretend to be ("Have you got another jump I can hope through?" asks "Money City Maniacs") -- and his compositions tend to be the most complex. Viz. the cleverly arranged "Sinking Ships".

"She Says What She Means" features a monster-riff, but perhaps a few too many clichés and the lead single "Money City Maniacs" is decent enough although its popularity is somewhat baffling. I consider it a bit dull and trite, but if it's one of the weaker tracks, then this must be a pretty strong album. Elsewhere, the Murphy-Scott duet "Suppose They Close The Door" does the Super Furry trick of cramming several ultra-catchy tunes into one track and Ferguson's "C'mon C'mon (We're Gonna Get It Started)" is so thoroughly pleasant, you want to make it a sandwich. Finally, the drums sound great on this record, but someone really should have tuned that piano.