A.C. Newman 'guilty' of producing a monotonous new album

    As the founder of indie-pop super-group The New Pornographers, Canadian songwriter A.C. Newman was crowned as hipster royalty long ago. Newman gained a reputation as the sunny, upbeat counterpoint to the often-dour indie scene of the early 2000s. On the strength of the success of the first two New Pornographers albums, he released his first solo effort, "The Slow Wonder," in 2004. The disc, which didn't stray too far from the Pornographers' signature power pop style, sold modestly and earned critical acclaim.
    Five years and two more Pornographers albums later, Newman has released his follow-up, "Get Guilty," and it seems like he's finally running out of ideas.
    "Get Guilty" has a lot in common with Newman's previous work. Newman's reedy vocals are, as usual, supported by a shouting, harmonizing chorus of female voices (usually featuring Kori Gardner of Mates of State). The orchestration echoes of instruments from electric guitars to drums to pianos to violins pop in and out as needed. Ponderous beats power through every track, often monotonous and unchanging.
    Unfortunately, where his melodies used to be joyous and energetic, they've calmed down to being borderline lethargic. Some songs sound so similar, they are nearly indistinguishable, making parts of the album blur into one long, beat-driven track. Newman's song structures have always been mildly repetitive; he tends to use a few musical phrases over and over between verses. Now those phrases overwhelm anything else a song has to offer.
    Newman is wise to hold the bombastic opening track, "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve…," to two-and-a-half minutes, and the rhythmic pattern of "Get Guilty" consumes "Elemental," which, with its quirky meter and few repeated phrases, comes off like a skipping record. In "Thunderbolts," atypical vocals are hampered by an endlessly recurring drum beat.
    The album does have more successful moments, though, such as the subdued crescendo of "The Heartbreak Rides," which breaks up the repetitive chorus with a rollicking guitar hook. "The Palace at 4 A.M.," "Get Guilty's" most pop-influenced offering, ratchets up the tempo with a galloping beat. The rhythm of the album changes again with "Young Atlantis," which is more low-key and meditative than previous tracks.
    As usual, Newman's work oscillates between off-kilter pop melodies and more cacophonic indie-rock efforts. "Like A Hitman Like A Dancer" and "The Changeling (Get Guilty)" fall under the former category, showcasing back-up vocals and instrumental solos. Rockers include "Submarines of Stockholm," which uses staccato piano and guitar chords to drive the limited melody, and "The Collected Works," which combines low piano chords and distorted guitar with a single violin to create a uniquely textured indie-rock sound.
    "Get Guilty" closes with "All of My Days and All of My Days Off," the sing-along chorus of which hearkens back to Newman's earlier, happier work. Regrettably, though, not much substance is seen in this or any other song on the album. It's as if Newman skipped over the creative work that went into his earlier releases, relying on one idea to create an entire album.
    Truthfully, "Get Guilty" is often monotonous and at times overwhelmingly boring. It's not outright bad but merely mediocre. It seems as though Newman has used up the kind of dynamic songwriting material that made "The Slow Wonder" such a pleasant surprise five years ago.
    Newman's work has always been invigorated with an addictive rhythm and a certain unpredictability. That hasn't changed. He has an enviable ear for unconventional harmonies, melodic pivots and layered instrumentation. Indie fans especially fans of The New Pornographers' 2007 release, "Challengers" will still find something to like in "Get Guilty," but those familiar with Newman's oeuvre will know that he can do much better.