The New Pornographers are not breaking any new ground with Together. The album is full of their usual excellent pop gems. And I mean every one. To me though, to operate in the pop rock realm and pull it off well is probably one of the most difficult things you can do without mimicking other artists...but c'mon with pop, that is exactly what you do unless you are The Beatles or Phil Spectre.
The New Pornographers are a Canadian supergroup and the only one I really know out of their group is alt-country singer-songwriter Neko Case, who I would gladly drink her bathwater. And she isn't even Canadian. Together, is reminiscent of their first three albums. I was struck though how much they really mine The Beatles. But on songs like the Crash Years we get treated to Brian Wilson via Pet Sounds. This is a strong complement. The next song following this, Silver Dollar Jenny, we get treated to the Neko Case's breathy 'wa-wa-wa-wa' sounding like that old pop easy listening classic Teach Me Tiger.
If You Can't See My Mirror is a swirling, swimming diamond ruby combining the male lead singer and brainchild of the group, A. C. Newman with Neko Case, in a cross between a Laurel Canyon Mamas and Papas and every middle 80s British faux gay alt-pop I have ever heard).
Their typical convention of making you think that you are getting verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus is turned on its ear, as they may change this completely in on itself. I don't know if it is because they are primarily Canadian, but it sure seems like you hear a lot of Euro-pop in here too. Guitars are sparse, but plenty of pianos and all kinds of Eastern European brass (especially the great brass arrangement on Daughters of Sorrow). In the classic pop sense, they let the voices of the various lead and harmony singers serve as the lead instrument. This is a great listen.
Be aware, that subsequent listens will turn you into an ear candy addict.
