New Pornographers Electric Version CD

This is the second album from Vancouver's supergroup, featuring Carl Newman (Zumpano), Neko Case, Dan Bejar (Destroyer), & other local luminaries in a joyful cascade of slightly jaundiced power pop songs that'll knock your socks off. The hooks are huge & the wit & songwriting are off the map. 'Forty staggeringly catchy minutes of four-part harmonies & Wall of Sound production, exploding with energy & joy' - Rolling Stone. Matador. 2003.

The New Pornographers: Carl Newman (vocals, guitar, keyboards, melodion); Neko Case (vocals); Todd Fancey (guitar, keyboards); John Collins (baritone guitar, bass, keyboards); Blaine Thurier (keyboards); Kurt Dahle (double bass, drums, percussion, background vocals).
Additional personnel: Dan Bejar, Nora O'Connor (vocals); Monica Chattway (violin); Nyla Rainey (cello); Tim Sars (saxophone).
Recorded at The Factory and JC/DC Studios, Vancouver, Canada between November 2001 & October 2002.
Personnel: Carl Newman (vocals, guitar, melodion, keyboards); Kurt Dahle (vocals, double bass, drums, percussion); Neko Case, Nora O'Connor, Daniel Bejar (vocals); Todd Fancey (guitar, keyboards); John Collins (baritone guitar, keyboards); Blaine Thurier (keyboards).
Audio Mixers: The New Pornographers; John Collins; Howard Redekopp.
Recording information: DC Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (11/2001-10/2002); Jc (11/2001-10/2002); Kingsize Audio, Chicago, IL (11/2001-10/2002); The Factory (11/2001-10/2002).
Photographers: Chris Buck; Neko Case.
Three years after the sonic honey of Mass Romantic, the New Pornographers come up smiling once more with their sophomore effort and Matador debut, Electric Version. These beloved indie rockers stick with the syrupy goodness found on their first album, but opt to turn the amps up for a brighter, slicker sound, hence the title. It's a kitschy play on the band's power pop, and Carl Newman and secret member Dan Bejar keep their clever lyrical twists in tune. Twiddling riffs and organs dance with Neko Case's sunny harmonies on the rollicking "It's Only Divine Right" and "From Blown Speakers." The energy is there, but Electric Version captures a new kind of energy from the New Pornographers. While Mass Romantic was a little more quirky in spirit, Electric Version is more polished. They took just under a year to create this album, so naturally a fresh confidence would transpire and "The Laws Have Changed" highlights the New Pornographers' musical growth. This album standout is bold as brass, drenched in Case and Newman's perky vocals. "All for Swinging You Around" takes things further with wacky synth beats and tripped-up percussion, Velocity Girl-style, but its the band's own glossed-over rock & roll on "Miss Teen Worldpower" that truly represents the smooth emotion and might behind the New Pornographers' sound. Electric Version is an enjoyable and easy listen, chock-full of hungry hooks and brimming with indie rock's classic humility. ~ MacKenzie Wilson
With alt-country chanteuse Neko Case periodically joining forces with members of Zumpano and Destroyer, the New Pornographers ply their trade as a sort of indie-rock supergroup. Their sophomore album ELECTRIC VERSION finds the sextet, (septet if you count secret member Dan Bejar), roaming the sunny slopes of power-popdom using chiming harmonies, cheesy keyboards, and punchy guitars as their guideposts. Jittery synths and hooting background vocals make "Chump Change" very Redd Kross-like, power chords and a thumping beat transform "The Laws Have Changed" into a perfect surf-driven new wave song, and the stunning coda in "Testament to Youth in Verse" rings with the beauty of early era Bee Gees. Like fellow Canadians Sloan, this Vancouver-based outfit also has a knack for pumping out guitar-driven Cheap Trick-like pop, and on this collection of songs, the apex is the relentlessly swaggering "It's Only Divine Right." With ELECTRIC VERSION, The New Pornographers once again prove themselvRolling Stone (12/25/03, p.109) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2003"
Rolling Stone (5/15/03, p.135) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Perfect harmonies, revved-up guitars and rinky-dink keyboards....ELECTRIC VERSION will no doubt prove one of the year's best summertime rock records..."
Entertainment Weekly (5/9/03, p.76) - "...Perfect for anyone who appreciates both Shoes and Nu Shooz..." - Rating - A-
Uncut (6/03, p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The songs of chief Pornographer Carl Newman surge with contagious power pop energy and wit....Classic pop has seldom sounded so much fun..."
The Wire (6/03, p.74) - "...Their songs are predictably primed with enough catchy hooks to pull you into a web of upbeat optimism..."
CMJ (5/503, p.10) - "...Vancouver's premier indie-rock supergroup has perfected a nifty trick: writing songs with hooks the Beatles would be proud of, giving them ornate, Beach Boys-style baroque pop arrangements, and playing them with all the pent-up energy of early Elvis Costello..."