With only a week to go before Sloan releases their 11th studio album Commonwealth, fans can now get a sneak peek at the record via Pitchfork Advance. The new album, which is out on September 9th via Yep Roc Records,
is a 15-song collection that sees Sloan creating one of the most unique
and ambitious recordings of their two-decade-plus career. To celebrate
the album, the band will hit the road for a North American tour (details
below – more dates to be announced soon). Commonwealth is available for pre-order on iTunes now, with an immediate download of album tracks, "Cleopatra," "Carried Away," "13 (Under A Bad Sign)," and "Keep Swinging (Downtown)."
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Recently, Consequence of Sound
premiered "Carried Away" and said, "the chamber pop track plays to
[Chris] Murphy's knack for writing radio-ready hits, complete with a
doubly infectious melody," while the A.V. Club debuted the "swooping power pop" song "Cleopatra."
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The Toronto-based rock quartet is perhaps the most truly democratic group in the annals of pop, with Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, and Andrew Scott all
contributing original compositions to each record, equal partners with
equal say over every aspect of their work. Where in the past creative
lines have been blurred to create the multi-faceted Sloan
sound, Commonwealth sees the four bandmates disassociating ever so
slightly to create an old-school double album sequenced with each member
staking out a single side as their own artistic dominion.
Commonwealth follows 2011’s The Double Cross, which earned
Sloan some of the most glowing notices of their acclaimed career.
Designated by the four playing card suits, the essentially solo sides
allow for all four members’ work to at last be heard through the prism
of individual identity. Ferguson’s opening Diamond side showcases his remarkable knack for symphonic pop, Pentland’s Shamrock offers a substantial helping of pedal-hoppin’ psych rock, and Murphy’s Heart
is fit to burst with wit, jangle, and eclectic energy. As if the
four-sided concept weren’t challenge enough, Commonwealth finishes with Forty Eight Portraits, an ingenious 18-minute pop suite that fills the entirety of Scott’s closing Spade
side. Ultimately, what makes Commonwealth so special – and so
distinctly Sloan – is how the fragmented approach in fact only serves to
underscore the veteran band’s extraordinary strengths, showcasing the
particular ingredients without ever losing sight of the sum of their
parts.
US Tour Dates:
10/10: Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
10/19: Portland, OR - Star Theatre
10/20: Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
10/22: San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
10/23: Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg Theatre
Diamond Side (Jay):
1) We've Come This Far
2) You've Got A Lot On Your Mind
3) Three Sisters
4) Cleopatra
5) Neither Here Nor There
Heart Side (Chris):
6) Carried Away
7) So Far So Good
8) Get Out
9) Misty's Beside Herself
10) You Don't Need Excuses To Be Good
Shamrock Side (Patrick):
11) 13 (Under A Bad Sign)
12) Take It Easy
13) What's Inside
14) Keep Swinging (Downtown)
Spade Side (Andrew):
15) Forty-Eight Portraits
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