“sloan”
Sloan
4 Nights at the Palais Royale
murderecords
There is a popular image that being in a successful band, one that’s “made it big,” is endless days of lounging by the pool, tormenting an English-tinged butler into bringing you a steady supply of piña coladas. Well, it’s true, but you also lose touch with the fans, man. Unless of course, you’re Canadian, in which case you can sell out arenas in the Great White North yet barely give the doorman a workout at a US show. In the case of Sloan, it’s bizarre to the level of being inexplicable. Sloan’s mastery of guitar pop is pretty plain to see, certainly a lot more obviously (and enjoyably) than recent Stateside success stories.
From the sound of it (this is a live two-record set), not only do they carry their talents onto the stage, but the Canadian audience is most appreciative and personable, going as far as singing “Happy Birthday” to a celebrating band-member, and possessing the ability to pick up on every single cue for singalong or clapping. I seem to keep coming back to “Seems So Heavy,” a masterful collection of Beatlesque chord turns that sticks to my ears like gum on a summer shoe. See what all the fuss is about.
murderecords, P.O. Box 2372, Halifax Central, Halifax, Canada NS B3J 3E4
