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Rock fans who fall into a certain age bracket may recall the buzz around the release of Liz Phair<\/strong>‘s major-label debut, 1993’s Exile in Guyville<\/em>. As the popular story went, the album was a track-by-track feminist response to The Rolling Stones<\/strong>‘ 1972 double LP Exile on Main Street<\/em>. Or something like that; on close examination, the argument didn’t hold up. But the album was superb, regardless.<\/p>\n I’m not here today to convince you that Sloan<\/strong><\/a>‘s Commonwealth<\/em> is the Canadian quartet’s answer to The Beatles<\/strong>‘ self-titled 1968 double LP. But surface similarities do exist.<\/p>\n First off, the new Sloan album is divided into four sections. All four members of the band compose, play and sing, and rather than mix things up (like, say, John and Yoko<\/strong> did on Double Fantasy<\/em>), each member gets his own side (the album is available on vinyl, though my review copy is a silver CD). Each songwriter gets thirteen to fifteen minutes or so to present a suite of songs that displays his own distinct personality and perspective. But here’s the kicker: unlike the White Album, where some tracks featured only Lennon, and others might even have Paul McCartney<\/strong> behind the drum kit(!), on Commonwealth<\/em>, the all-for-one\/one-for-all approach means that each side finds the composer\/vocalist ably and enthusiastically backed by his band mates. Commonwealth<\/em> is that rarest of albums: a series of tracks from distinct individuals, all presented in a way that makes the disc into a cohesive whole.<\/p>\n The first five songs are labeled Diamond Side and are composed by Jay Ferguson<\/strong>. Sounding a bit like Belle and Sebastian<\/strong>, Ferguson’s songs \u2013 most notably the lovely midtempo \u201cThree Sisters\u201d feature clever flourishes that might remind listeners of Ringo Starr<\/strong>‘s Revolver<\/em>-period drum fills. Each of the tunes is generally built around a piano melody, but plenty of muscular lead guitar is woven into the arrangement. The five tunes segue smoothly into one another; let your attention slip a bit and you might miss the transition to the shimmering \u201cYou’ve Got a Lot on Your Mind.\u201d The band ups the tempo and energy level for the infectious vibe of \u201cCleopatra.\u201d Guaranteed ear candy, Ferguson’s songs alone plus filler would equal a very, very good album.<\/p>\n Chris Murphy<\/strong>‘s Heart Side is next. His \u201cCarried Away\u201d may well be the most soaring tune on Commonwealth<\/em>, but he and his band mates offer strong competition. A lovely string section leads into a chorus you won’t soon forget. With its elegiac piano and cynical lyrics, \u201cSo Far So Good\u201d sounds like something off John Lennon’s Imagine<\/em>. More of those wonderful drums-down-the-stairs fills, Leslie’d lead guitar and creamy ahhh<\/em> vocal harmonies make it a standout track. The stuttering beat of the brief \u201cGet Out\u201d distantly recalls George Harrison<\/strong>‘s \u201cOld Brown Shoe.\u201d The melancholy \u201cMisty’s Beside Herself\u201d is full of beauty and heartbreak. Murphy rocks out on his last spotlight track, \u201cYou Don’t Need Excuses to Be Good.\u201d The minor-key number features a lengthy but stinging riff as the basis of its chorus. It’s a rare songwriter who can compose ballads and rockers of equal quality, and then sequence them on an album in a way that isn’t jarring, in a sequence that makes sense. Murphy succeeds.<\/p>\n Shamrock Side features four songs from Patrick Pentland<\/strong>. Right out of the gate he serves up \u201c13 (Under A Bad Sign),\u201d a rocker that swaggers like T. Rex<\/strong>. Wonderfully distorted guitar fills leave the listener wanting more. Some bursts of noise and what initially sounds like the same backing track used on \u201c13\u201d lead straight into \u201cTake it Easy.\u201d Even more distorted, nearly atonal guitar skronk atop the chugging, insistent rhythm section brings out the rock in Shamrock Side. \u201cWhat’s Inside\u201d is a slow, gauzy, almost psychedelic swirl that is highly appealing and will draw listeners into its musical maelstrom. Pentland’s side wraps up with the Rolling Stones<\/strong>-y \u201cKeep Swinging (Downtown).\u201d Some wonderfully retro combo organ textures recall the mid 1960s garage scene, and a brief effects-laden guitar solo is yet another highlight.<\/p>\n Commonwealth<\/em> ends with Spade Side, an eighteen-minute suite of Andrew Scott<\/strong> compositions all woven together under the singe title \u201cForty-eight Portraits.\u201d The opening section could \u2013 if one wishes to labor the White Album comparison \u2013 be thought of as Commonwealth<\/em>‘s \u201cRevolution #9.\u201d Found sounds (barking dogs, alarm clocks, out-of-tune parlor piano) unfold gradually, and then the piano rises from the aural mist, seamlessly unfolding into a beautiful melody topped by some tight dual lead vocal harmony work. While none of Scott’s melodies sound like lifts, there’s a definite Abbey Road<\/em> (Side Two, specifically) vibe to the mini-songs; the manner in which they hang together only strengthens the similarity. Had he cared to, Scott could have easily extended any and all of the brief \u201csonglets\u201d into full-length numbers, creating an entire excellent album in the process. It’s a testament to the democratic approach of Sloan that he and his band mates chose otherwise. The thirty-second section that begins around the 11:20 mark is perhaps the hookiest segment of \u201cForty-eight Portraits,\u201d but there’s not a weak moment in the entire track. Around 12:15 Sloan take us back \u2013albeit briefly \u2013 to the Summer of Love, with insistent piano and brass that backs the vocal countermelodies. Then there’s a bit that recalls the weary yet jubilant rooftop vibe of \u201cI’ve Got a Feeling,\u201d featuring some children’s chorus vocals that recall early Traffic<\/strong>, XTC<\/strong><\/a> and the Rolling Stones all at once. The song then gradually takes off into the ether, explicitly recalling either Abbey Road<\/em>‘s \u201cI Want You (She’s So Heavy),\u201d Badfinger<\/strong><\/a>‘s \u201cTimeless,\u201d or \u2013 most likely \u2013 both.<\/p>\n And then it’s over. Luckily you can play it again. And you’ll want to. Commonwealth<\/em> truly displays the common wealth of songwriting prowess among Sloan’s four very equal members. Easily a strong contender for Musoscribe’s best album of 2014, Commonwealth<\/em> earns my enthusiastic Must Buy recommendation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rock fans who fall into a certain age bracket may recall the buzz around the release of Liz Phair‘s major-label debut, 1993’s Exile in Guyville. 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