October 16, 2001 by A.S. Van Dorston

Halifax power poppers keep the hooks flowing on sixth album.

Once upon a time, Halifax, Nova Scotia-based Sloan were compared to Radiohead, in that their 1993 hit single “Underwhelmed,” and Radiohead’s “Creep” had them pegged as alternative one-hit wonders. Eight years and six albums later, they haven’t reached quite the same creative or popular heights, but they’ve gradually cultivated a dedicated following based on hard touring and irresistible power pop and 70s stadium rock drawing from The Beatles, Badfinger, Raspberries and Cheap Trick bag of pop rocks. On Pretty Together, they’re tighter than ever, with all four members participating in the songwriting. The result doesn’t quite reach the heights of their last effort, 1999’s Between The Bridges, which might be their best.

A decade into their career, it’s no longer reasonable to expect them to top themselves every single time. Fortunately they have the tools for longevity in maintaining high quality songwriting, and throwing in fun curveballs now and then, like “Pick It Up And Dial It,” a full-on stadium hard rocker. “In The Movies” leads off with Who-ish guitar, and drumming nearly worthy of Keith Moon. Sloan’s live experience shows here. The album is full of nice touches, like the best “ooh ooh” harmonies since The Posies, and folky acoustic touches in songs like the affecting ballad, “The Other Man.” The deceptively simple “The Life Of A Working Girl” features some impressive picking, and lyrics nearly worthy of John Lennon. Songs like “Dreaming Of You,” “It’s In Your Eyes,” and “I Love A Long Goodbye” demonstrate what they do best, dreamy love songs maintaining a strong fanbase of women, while throwing plenty of rock ‘n’ bones for the boys to chew on. While Sloan are hardly groundbreaking, they have gelled into a groove that, with all its influences, sounds irrefutably like Sloan. Catch the boys on their next tour and show them love.