Stream: A.C. Newman - Shut Down The Streets (2012)

After cleaning up The New Pornographers’ once fuzzy and gritty sound to a staggering degree on 2010’s Together LP, frontman A.C. Newman is back with a new solo album called Shut Down The Streets. Although there are a handful of guitar strummy, delightfully melodic singalongs on the album (“Encyclopedia Of Classic Takedowns” featuring Neko Case is one such song), most of this record recalls the calmer, more reserved moments of Newman’s contributions to Together. 

From the rustic cover art to the analog synth-laden arrangements on tracks like “I’m Not Talking” and “You Could Get Lost Out Here,” Shut Down The Streets takes a lot of influence from 1970s AM radio, echoing recent revivalist works by Belle and Sebastian and Ariel Pink. Newman’s veteran melodic sense outshines his peers, though; even in its most subtle moments, whether Newman is singing over banjo and keys on “Strings” or tremelo-heavy electric guitar on “Wasted English,” Shut Down The Streets will get in your head and stay there. As far as resplendent, clear-eyed pop goes in 2012, you really can’t do much better than this. 

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Stream Shut Down The Streets in full at the embedded link above, and pre-order the album via Matador Records.