The New Pornographers
Together - Matador
FILTER Grade: 67%
By Kyle Lemmon on May 18, 2010
The notion of Together being a freewheeling soirée doesn’t hold water once these power-pop songs go through a couple spin cycles. The efforts of Annie Clark, Zach Condon, Will Sheff, and The Dap-Kings are negligible in keeping this fifth LP from Challengers-like indolence. Mid-tempo balladry and redundant choruses sap all the percussive vigor from this former song factory. Some of the chamber-rock cuts are a nice escape hatch, but you wish they would just take the leap. KYLE LEMMON