Together

The core remains the same, however. The band writes big, catchy pop songs-and the occasional heartbreaking ballad-and delivers them with flash, filigree, and a healthy sense of pop history.

Together is another masterstroke from the New Pornographers, one of those rare albums that reminds even the most jaded ear of the joys of pop music.

Together, the group's fifth record, is explosive and infectious yet tight and glossy, a far cry from the proverbial seat-of-the-pants audacity of their 2000 debut, Mass Romantic.

Together is paced excellently at a little over 44 minutes, feels like half of that, and not a single song warrants a skip.

The music is hearty and sure of itself. It's the kind of pop that, a few decades back, might have sneaked into the Top 40.

This week the Canadian sorta-supergroup releases Together, its fifth album, and provided you're not the kind of fan who requires your heroes to evolve, the disc is delectable.

This messy-pop template is nothing new for the Pornographers, but they've never applied it to such satisfying ends. Add in some guitarwork by St. Vincent's Annie Clark, a trumpet cameo from Beirut's Zach Condon, backing vocals by Okkervil River's Will Sheff and work by the ultra-reliable Dap-Kings, and it's the band's most colorful patchwork to date.

The album finds the Vancouver collective making only subtle yet effective changes to the way it does business while the songs remain as sturdy and taut as ever; it's one of the most reliable releases you're likely to encounter this year.

More than any other of the New Pornographers' albums, this feels like a group effort, each element united to create uniquely cerebral power pop.

The New Pornographers have never sounded more like a band than on Together, and it's one of the best records they've ever made. [Spring 2010, p.65]

Together is certainly far-reaching in its ambitions, and it often seems close to collapsing under the combined weight of all its collaborators, but it never falters, despite its dangerous dance. The New Pornographers have taken a risk in fussing with their sound, but in large part it's paid off beautifully.

The fresher feel on the Vancouver group's new set could partially be attributed to frontman Carl Newman's openness to collaborating with his peers.

On Together, the band's fifth album, Newman again pumps out exuberant melodies brimming with offbeat twists.

Aside from "Valkyrie", Together is a solid collection of well-crafted songs. However, in spite of the quality, the album isn't entirely satisfying.

The sharp riffs only occasionally add up to anything with a pulse, but the Pornos have always been bad mathematicians. Archaeology -- that's their subject.

There hasn't been a better blueprint for the New Pornographers' sound and mission, and, if all else fails, Together will certainly make you smile.

They stake a firm claim for parity with arguably their most consistent set yet.

Although their fifth album has plenty to satisfy orchestral-rock geeks and hook-heads--especially the ecstatic, merry-g-round-dizzy "up In The Dark"--the collection shines when it goes for nuance and subtlety. [Jun 2010, p.108]

A.C. Newman wanted his band's fifth album to "bridge the gap between Led Zeppelin and [Sixties psych-soul band] the Fifth Dimension." Together doesn't quite pull that off, but it is the Canadian-American group's best since 2000's Mass Romantic.

On its own, it's a great record. Tacked onto the end of a sprawling, massively exciting discography, it just doesn't deliver.

On the whole, Together smartly meshes thick orchestration with their lean energy really well, picking up where Challengers left off and improving in a lot of ways.

Despite the distinct musical talents involved, Together is surprisingly as its name suggests--cohesive.

Together does not scale the heights of Mass Romantic and Twin Cinema, but then, The New Pornographers have already made Mass Romantic and Twin Cinema. This is something new, something hopeful.

Together is a good album that is catchy and full of hooks and does a lot of what we've come to expect from the band. Having said that, it's also a step down.

The Canadian supergroup return with super new LP.

In its crunchy guitars, rich harmonies and fist-pumping choruses, there's a warmth and positivity that, while occasionally too smooth, shows an admirable disregard for current trends. [Jun 2010, p.128]

For some reason, the band seemed to strip things down on this album, as the tracks are less sophisticated and experimental than on previous works, (which is fine for most bands, but for ones that aspire to keep their crown at the forefront of indie-pop, just not going to cut it).

Like much of Together, it aims for The Beatles, hits ELO, and sounds like the people responsible mightn't have thought that was a bad thing.

While it does have moments where the listener is reminded of why they love power-pop, Together ends up sounding too vocally divided as an album and at times too top-heavy with orchestral arrangements.

There's quite a bit of work involved in bringing so many points of view and instruments together, and that's precisely the problem with Together.

Together has its moments, but it's a disappointment for such a justifiably lauded band [Spring 2010, p.65]

Mid-tempo balladry and redundant choruses sap all the percussive vigor from this former song factory.

The guest list is impressive. But it'd take a very straight face to refute the frequent echoes of The New Seekers or Fleetwood Mac, while "Silver Jenny Dollar" sounds like something Mike Batt might have knocked up for The Wombles. [Jun 2010, p.97]

The Vancouver octet layers lavish string arrangements and huge group choruses over its trademark, idiosyncratic power-pop, smothering the listener in the process.