Review: Sloan

With 15 years as a band under their belts and seven previous full-length studio releases behind them, Sloan released their latest album, Never Hear The End Of It, on Jan. 9 with an expertise only attainable for a band with that type of stamina. The album is 30 tracks long. Thirty tracks. "It's definitely a bit of a sprawling record, but I think if any band can attempt to pull it off, it might as well be us," said Jay Ferguson, singer and guitarist of the Canadian foursome.

Annoying intros, preludes or messages left on their answering machines that only add senseless bulk do not muddle the 30 tracks. Instead, each is a professional and deliberate tune that bridges the gap between rock of the past and present. Songs like "Fading Into Obscurity" have an apparent Beatles influence with some Fountains of Wayne undertones. Despite their admirably committed effort, Never Hear doesn't have a sound all its own. Sloan's pop-rock tunes are very Rolling Stones by way of Aerosmith by way of The Strokes.

Sloan is exactly the kind of duplicated rock that will make their listeners seek out vintage blazers and cigarette addictions just for nostalgia's sake. The band tends to stick with the basic two-guitar, bass-and-drums formula - though if you listen hard enough on "Another Way I Could Do It," you can almost hear triangle. The wide selection of songs makes it difficult to pick a favorite; however, "Who Taught You To Live Like That?" and "Everybody Wants You" are a few tracks suitable for you and your parents to rock to. You have to hand it to Sloan: 15 years and all original members who each deliver satisfying contributions to a lengthy yet listenable album.

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