A.C. Newman - Get Guilty (2009)

Carl Newman – the lead songwriter of the New Pornographers – is, without doubt, one of the finest songwriters of the past ten years, having churned out four excellent albums with the New Pornos and one equally strong album under his own name. Unfortunately, however, Newman breaks his track record with Get Guilty, his five-years-in-the-making followup to his 2004 solo effort. It’s not that Guilty is a bad record; rather, it’s simply an album plagued by numerous little problems, problems that join forces like an army and rise up to overwhelm the memorable aspects of the songs. The main complaint is that the record as a whole feels stiff – where earlier albums possessed an easy, infectious energy, Guilty is loaded with songs such as “There Are Ten Or Twelve” and “Thunderbolts” (the latter of which also has the distinction of being the most insipid song Newman has ever written) which lumber around with lackluster, rigid rhythms. It’s almost as if, having slowed down so successfully on Challengers, Newman has forgotten how to “rock” and is simply going through the motions. Take that and combine it with a host of other minor problems – the fact that “The Heartbreak Rides,” “Like A Hitman, Like A Dancer,” and “Submarines Of Stockholm” (which are otherwise decent numbers) all outstay their welcome by about half a minute each, or the fact that the arrangements range from forced to bombastic – and Newman’s gift for lyrics and melody are the last thing you notice. Newman has announced that he has already finished the demos for the next New Pornographers album. Here’s to hoping Get Guilty is simply the sound of the songwriter stretching his creative muscles before the victory lap.

Rating: 6.5
Track picks: “Like A Hitman, Like A Dancer,” “Prophets,” “The Palace At 4 AM”

- Will Preston