A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder (Matador, 2004)

A.C. Newman
The Slow Wonder
Matador
2004

Rating: 7.5 dinosaur babes out of 10

 
In case you were unaware, A.C. Newman is one of the main cats from that ultra-hip super-group, the New Pornographers; and if you didn’t already know that he was the brains behind that operation (with a little help from Dan Bejar of Destroyer fame), it will become incredibly obvious after your first listen of this record.  This album has a great, summertime feel to it, like riding down the Great Highway in a convertible watching the surf wash up against the dead whale carcasses. If you know and love the output of the New Pornographers, or even Newman’s previous band Zumpano, you’ll get along well with this album of glistening retro-pop. In fact, if you threw a couple of guest vocal spots on here from Neko Case, you’d probably assume it was a New Pornographers album. This release bustles right along, and although it registers only a half hour or so of recorded material, it’s the quality that counts; plus, “leave them wanting more” is a popular expression for a reason. I have a feeling this is going to get played a lot in my house, car and walkman over the next few months.