Peer Pressure (I Like It, So Why Not Give It a Try?)
Why wouldn't I listen to an album with this cover?
I have never really given The New Pornographers a chance, no matter how many people have told me that I needed to. A few months ago, I recollected all the fine and decent people who’s opinions I respect and decided to buy their debut album, Mass Romantic, and then waited three months before giving it a chance. I’m not sure how an album can have that cover without people paying attention, but I didn’t. Somehow I missed Pitchfork putting it in the top ten albums of the year, Blender putting it in the best indie rock albums of all time (the highest rated Canadian album in the mix, behind the ever-beloved Arcade Fire… though if I am going to generalize bands by their country in such a way, I think Broken Social Scene are better than both), or any of the many more accolades it received.
Between my Public Speaking and Algebra class, I have two hours to kill. So far I have been listening to “This American Life” episodes that are old enough for me to have forgotten about, and new music I have downloaded the night before. Today was The New Pornographers chance for me to pay attention. And it turns out I liked it.
There are so many fans of The Shins that came and went, and The New Pornographers are just as poppy, if not more. As far as I know, you don’t have to turn in your benefits package for being a card-carrying hipster if you enjoy The New Pornographers like you do for admitting liking The Shins, so those concerned about their image take note.
Although I liked many songs on the album, by and large “My Slow Decent Into Alcoholism” is what I would choose, were I a promoter, to be the single to get audiences used to the sound and idea of the band. “My Slow Descent Into Alcoholism” is catchy as hell, and I love their decision to make a song about falling into the throws of one of the only two chemical addictions that can kill you, a happy catchy pop-song. This is important. For the prudes that probably will never read this, it is important to note that the slow decent into alcoholism is a fun ride. As Doug Stanhope said about heroin, “people didn’t become addicted to it because it sucks” the same goes for boozing. Drinking doesn’t begin with blacking out and losing your car, finding an STD that arrived “out of nowhere” from someone you forgot you slept with; alcoholism doesn’t start with passing out in public or pissing you pants. It’s a hell of a lot of fun!
And appropriately, this song is too.
The New Pornographers – The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
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