Sloan Hits Thirty

Here’s a 30-track — yes, that’s really the count — record that plays like a history tour through modern pop psychedelia, weaving from Norman Greenbaum–esque anthems to introspective strains that trigger the Elvis Costello receptors of the brain. But then again, that’s sort of the trademark Sloan sound. After 15 years, the Canadian power-poppers are still holding it together, like partners in an enviable, four-way marriage. (Each of the original members pens a hearty handful of songs for this, the band’s eighth release.) Suckers for sweet melodies, jangling guitars and ’60s-style vocal harmonies will rejoice in the immediacy of this album. The best part? While adhering so faithfully to a fickle genre — known for hit singles buried in a bed of also-rans — this collection works as a real, honest-to-goodness album. That’s not to say standout tracks “You Know What It’s About” and “Listen to the Radio” don’t try their damnedest to outpace the pack.

SLOAN | Never Hear the End of It | Yep Roc Records

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