There was a time when Canada had much to apologise for musically. Alanis Morrisette, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams. The UK obviously has much to apologise for as well, but that's not the point. But in and amongst the mainstream atrocities, there has also been something of a compelling music scene bubbling away at all times. This year alone bands such as The Stills, Tokyo Police Club and Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah, have been making their mark over here alongside the seemingly unending ascent of Arcade Fire. There is a lot more to Canada than AOR, and it seems to become more and more apparent with time. Canada is becoming synonymous with beautiful music, be it post-rock (like Godspeed! You Black Emperor), electronica (Caribou) or art rock (Broken Social Scene).
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS will do the cause no harm. On record they sound so Canadian you imagine they shit grizzly bears. Live, they've developed teeth and there's more personality, at least between the songs. The sound is less lush and more lively.
At times there's an element of early Supergrass to them, especially vocally. It's this enthusiasm that particularly bolsters the more upbeat tunes. As a band they are musically tight, well practised, and able to smile when things don't go quite right. There were a few sound problems over the course of the set but they took it in their stride. There are no gimmicks, just a band having a good time onstage.
At times the sound can be best described as simple sixties pop tunes gone large. Those little ditties sung with only an acoustic for company have been given the full band treatment to lively effect. All members of the band seem to be multi-instrumentalists of some nature, and particularly impressive is the maraca shaped like an orange (easily pleased here, granted). Lots of songs build up to the crescendo that works so well with live acts, and on the whole this works. The duetting on the majority of the songs is impressive, two stunning singers very much in tune with each other; think of Conor Oberst's songs with Emmy-Lou Harris; that good. Special mention must also go out to the drummer, who was amazing all night.
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The moments of melancholy are interesting as well. This is The New Pornographers' sweeter side, and it's good that they are a band with sides and not just one tempo.
There is a strange contrast to the band mid-song and the band between songs. There is a seriousness within the musical delivery that vanishes when the music ends and the jokes start. It's always pleasant to see a band enjoying being in a band, and quite sadly a rare thing as well. They laugh and joke with the crowd and win full points for interaction. The whole show is good natured, and the warmth generated from them adds something to the gig.
Although their sound is relatively unique, by the end of the set it starts to sound a little formulaic. The extended 'oooooooooooh's' and 'noooooooooooo's' and 'laaaaaaaaaaaaaa's' suggest that they don't really know how to end a song, and after an hour of these endings, it does get quite tiresome. To entertain an uninitiated listener a band definitely needs range in the performance, else it does all tend to blend into one. There are enough ideas, however, for them to go in any direction in the future, and if they don't fall into the trap of just sounding like themselves, they could become a highly revered act.
Support act IT HUGS BACK offer much less. It's the sound of Secret Machines playing the indie-pop hits of the early parts of the twenty-first century, in a bad way. Another band looking to follow in the Cold Patrol lineage and that is something the world just doesn't need. It's a shame, because they seem very nice and this feels like kicking a puppy. But it is disinteresting, there's nothing special about it, and it should make an impression on absolutely no-one.
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