Long an underappreciated source of inspired pop, Halifax, Nova Scotia's fab four up the ante here. Faced with the task of topping their virtually flawless '97 hookathon One Chord To Another, the boys of Sloan have sequestered themselves in a fantastic rock universe where Abbey Road, Kiss Alive, and the first two Big Star albums play continuously and every night is an eight-tracked El Camino ride to a Bic-lighter illuminated arena.
Kicking off with the chugging "She Says What She Means," Navy Blues is the work of a multi-songwriter/vocalist band with no weaknesses, no holes. The language of pop -- infectious, instantly memorable melodies and choruses, sweet-and-sour harmonies, cocky crunch chords, shimmying percussion, nifty little piano fills and the like -- lies at their fingertips. Crazy for bounce-along ditties? "C'mon C'mon," "Iggy & Angus," "Stand By Me, Yeah," the sublime "I Wanna Thank You" and the cheeky "Chester The Molester" (catchy even if sung in Martian) await your approval. Mad for muscular late-Beatles-like workouts? The bluesy, majestic "Sinking Ships" and the groove-laden "Seems So Heavy" are up your alley. "Suppose They Close The Door" manages to combine the two veering abruptly from crawling psych moaner to chirping Monkees-choral singalong. And you won't find a sweeter moment on record this year than when "Suppose ..." segues to the hip-shaking romp of "On My Horizon" in a tumble of drumrolls.
Which leads us to the single in an album full of singles, "Money City Maniacs." It's a monster, beginning with a siren, kicking into gear with three big chords, and culminating in the kind of sticky arena-ready chorus that geeky types like myself wet their pants over. The fact that it won't be heard on the radio outside of Canada is a pity.
Did I mention the way the band and Daryl Smith's production deftly captures the dusky glossiness of '70s FM? Or the way these guys nail the perfect guitar sound for the part every time? Or the unfailingly inventive backup vocal parts that permeate nearly every track? You get the picture. One could fill pages praising the embarassment of riches that is Navy Blues. Consider the fact that this band nearly broke up for good at one point because they can't get arrested in the U.S., and show up on July 28th to pledge your allegiance. What you'll get is 13 songs that will linger insidiously yet pleasantly in your brain, delivered by a group that crams more shifts in mood and color, songwriting moxie, and pure rock fun into three dazzling minutes than most do in a career.
--Lane Hewitt