Sloan (2) – 12

The music contained on this LP is fantastic. Honestly, Sloan are consistently great, and in the realm of latter-day releases, this one is right up there with "The Double Cross"... catchy songs, sweet songs, deep-hook songs. As with every Sloan release, there are at least 3 tracks that would make their way onto my "All-Time-Best-Sloan-Tracks" mixtape. It's great!!
As for the pressing... it's OK. I probably should have listened to the little voice in my head and stuck with the standard black pressing; I don't honestly know if it would have made a difference, but it might have sounded better than this purple-vinyl pressing, which I find to be surprisingly noisy. Despite a gentle cleaning out of the sleeve, it just sounds poor, like a dirty used record. Lots of pops and clicks, bit of rumble between tracks, and frankly the sound quality (despite the dirty-sound) isn't that stunning either.
By comparison, I recently purchased a new copy of "Navy Blues", and was wowed by the clean, punchy response - excellent bright tones balanced with clean bass, on a dead-silent piece of wax.
This one is, once again, a good argument for Compact Discs. At least there was a download, so I can hear a clean version when I desire it (which, given how strong the material is, will be quite often!)

The 12th album from this consistently strong and critically respected Canadian band should take their reputation all the way to the top. Sloan has always had a way with melody, a deft touch for stick-in-your-head hooks—but this time they’ve elevated it to another level. These are songs that put a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. In a perfect world, they would dominate radio airwaves (and Spotify), and we would all be better for it. There are no weak tracks here, nothing but top-of-the-line power pop. The songs ring with a sparkling energy; they sound fresh & lively. The songwriting and performance are spot-on. Guitars chime with a friendly, shimmering clarity and the CSNY-flavored vocal harmonies are sublime. Recalls bands/artists like Nada Surf, The Beatles, Tommy Keene, Squeeze, The Rifles, Teenage Fan Club, The Posies, Ash, Matthew Sweet, Fountains Of Wayne. You might even hear hints of Neil Young, The Byrds, Sparks, Ian Hunter. On “12”, Sloan has locked into a level of natural musicianship that few bands in the genre will ever achieve. If there is a better power pop album out there, I have yet to hear it. Highly Recommended.