ThePantherPrints
      6*
      Sloan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      8,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      S.L.O.A.N.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sloan
      is,
      hee,
      a
     
     
      doubt,
      the
      flagship
      pop
      band
     
     
      of
      the
      Maritimes.
      Since
      1992
     
     
      this
      band
      has
      been
      releasing
     
     
      quality
      albums
      on
      both
      DGC
     
     
      (Geffen
      Records)
      and
      their
      own
     
     
      label,
      Murderecords,
      which
     
     
      MCA
      distributes
      in
      Canada.
     
    

    
     
      The
      band
      consists
      of
      Jay
     
     
      Ferguson
      and
      Patrick
      Pentland
     
     
      on
      guitarsy
      Andrew
      Scott
      on
     
     
      percussion
      and
      Chris
      Murphy
     
     
      on
      bass.
      During
      Halifax
      On
     
     
      Music,
      the
      East
      Coast's
      big
     
     
      festival
      celebrating
      the
      thriv-
     
     
      ing
      Canadian
      musi¢
      scene,
      I
     
     
      had
      the
      chance
      to
      talk
      to
     
     
      Murphy
      about
      the
      direction
      the
     
     
      band
      has
      taken
      with
      their
      new
     
     
      album
      among
      other
      things.
     
    

    
     
      Sloan
      gained
      fame
      back
     
     
      in
      1992
      when
      they
      released
     
     
      their
      first
      LP,
      Smeared
      with
     
     
      the
      undeniably
      catchy
      single
     
     
      "Underwhelmed"
      which
      cata-
     
     
      pulted
      them
      into
      fame.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Smeared
      was
      followed
      uptwo
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      years
      later
      by
      the
      critically
     
     
      acclaimed,
      yet
      commercially
     
     
      unsuccessful
      Twice
      Removed.
     
     
      Upon
      the
      release
      of
      their
     
     
      first
      album,
      fans
      much
     
     
      ballyhooed
      Sloan
      as
      the
      Nir-
     
     
      vana
      of
      the
      North,
      with
      refer-
     
     
      ences
      to
      Halifax
      as
      the
      Seattle
     
     
      of
      the
      East.
      Twice
      Removed
     
     
      saw
      acleaner
      recording
      witha
     
     
      more
      classic
      feel
      --
      a
      radical,
     
     
      and
      unexpected
      change
      which
     
     
      did
      not
      seem
      to
      please
      their
     
     
      label
      or
      their
      fans.
      Word
      of
     
     
      DGC's
      discontent
      with
      the
      band
     
     
      ran
      rampant
      through
      the
     
     
      Internet
      and
      Canadian
      press
     
     
      along
      with
      rumours
      that
      the
     
     
      band
      was
      going
      to
      break
      up.
     
     
      Although
      the
      band
      did
      take
      a
     
     
      hiatus,
      they
      returned
      to
      the
     
     
      scene
      at
      the
      close
      of
      1995
      with
     
     
      news
      that
      they
      would
      record
     
     
      another
      album
      --
      One
      Chordto
     
     
      Another
      --
      which
      has
      been
      well
     
     
      lauded
      with
      both
      critical
      and
     
     
      commercial
      praise
      since
      its
      re-
     
     
      lease
      in
      June
      of
      this
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      past,
      e+.
      has
     
     
      had
      slickly
      produced
      albums,
     
     
      but
      with
      their
      latest
      effort,
      the
     
     
      production
      was
      scrappier
      to
     
     
      the
      point
      of
      the
      drums
      being
     
     
      recorded
      on
      a
      4-track
      cassette
     
     
      player.
      "Wecould
      havedone
      it
     
     
      higher
      quality,
      but
      we
      just
      went
     
     
      for
      a
      certain
      recording.
      We
     
     
      wanted
      ourtecording
      tohavea
     
     
      character,”
      said
      Murphy
      about
     
     
      One
      Chord
      To
      Another.
      The
     
     
      addition
      of
      horns
      and
      other
     
     
      instrumentation
      onto
      this
      al-
     
     
      bum
      has
      definitely
      broadened
     
     
      the»pallet
      of
      the
      band.
      Al-
     
     
      thoughtthere
      is
      still
      achange
      in
     
     
      their
      sound
      from
      the
      previous
     
     
      releases
      the
      change
      is
      "a
      bit
     
     
      more
      linear.
      [Murphy]
      can
      tell
     
     
      that
      this
      is
      the
      same
      band."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      switch
      in
      style
      between
      the
     
     
      first
      and
      second
      record
      was
     
     
      obviously
      radical,
      and
      although
     
     
      OCTA
      doesn'thave
      sucha
      dra-
     
     
      matic
      changein
      style,
      Murphy
     
     
      wishes
      to
      "continue
      to
      be
      radi-
     
     
      cal
      [because]
      part
      of
      wanting
     
     
      to
      be
      the
      best
      is
      broadening
     
     
      [your]
      musical
      pallet
      a
      bit."
     
     
      Since
      their
      beginnings,
     
     
      Sloan
      has
      frequently
      been
      com-
     
     
      pared
      to
      the
      Beatles,
      what
      with
     
     
      their
      fourhandsome
      members,
     
     
      poppy
      melodies
      (especially
     
     
      songs
      like
      'Coax
      Me'
      and
      'Au-
     
     
      tobiography’,
      which
      are
      obvi-
     
     
      ously
      Beatles
      influenced)
      and
     
     
      mass
      appeal.
      Probably
      the
     
     
      biggest
      similarity
      between
      the
     
     
      two
      bands
      is
      that
      fans
      tend
     
     
      always
      to
      have
      a
      favourite
     
     
      member
      and/or
      song
      writer.
     
     
      "Everybody
      in
      the
      band
      is
      im-
     
     
      portant.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      perfect
      band
      the
      next
      seven
      records.
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      would
      be
      no
      everybody
      in
     
     
      the
      band
      had
      twenty-five
      per-
     
     
      cent
      of
      the
      fans.
      If
      it
      were
     
     
      always
      just
      [one
      member]
      or
     
     
      something,
      then
      the
      band
     
     
      wouldn't
      be
      equal
      and
      [he]
     
     
      should
      just
      step
      back
      or
      some-
     
     
      thing."
      Murphy's
      sentiment
      of
     
     
      band
      equality
      is
      a
      fair
      one,
      but
     
     
      when
      asked
      if
      he
      seeks
      atten-
     
     
      tion
      admitted
      that
      he
      thrives
      on
     
     
      it
      and
      likes
      to
      be
      in
      front
      play-
     
     
      ing
      the
      bass
      although
      he
      is
      a
     
     
      prolific
      drummer.
     
    

    
     
      Accessibility
      to
      their
     
     
      fans
      has
      always
      been
      easy
      for
     
     
      the
      members
      of
      Sloan
      as
      the
     
     
      address
      and
      phone
      number
      for
     
     
      their
      company,
      Murderecords,
     
     
      is
      readily
      available
      to
      anyone
     
     
      to
      write
      them
      or
      purchase
      any
     
     
      of
      the
      albums
      on
      this
      label.
     
     
      However,
      with
      the
      rabid
      breed
     
     
      of
      fans
      that
      seems
      to
      surround
     
     
      the
      band,
      one
      would
      wonder
      if
     
     
      their
      accessibility
      proves
      to
      be
     
     
      problematic.
      According
      to
     
     
      Murphy,
      accessibility
      is
      im-
     
     
      portant
      and
      he
      doesn't
      mind
      it
     
     
      too
      much,
      but
      there
      is@
      limit
     
     
      and
      "people
      calling
      {him}
      at
     
     
      home
      and
      stuff"
      is
      completely
     
     
      unappreciated.
      The
      fact
      that
     
     
      he
      and
      his
      bandmates
      are
      cur-
     
     
      rently
      in
      the
      limelight
      also
     
     
      makes
      them
      fodder
      for
      rumours
     
     
      and
      innuendo
      regarding
      their
     
     
      personal
      lives.
      “Sometimes
     
     
      [the
      invasion
      of
      privacy]
      drives
     
     
      [Murphy]
      nuts,
      but
      [he
      has]
      a
     
     
      pretty
      long
      fuse.”
     
    

    
     
      “When
      I
      look
      at
      these
     
     
      records
      [Smeared,
      Twice
      Re-
     
     
      moved,
      and
      One
      Chord
      To
     
     
      Another]
      side
      by
      side,
      it’s
      so
     
     
      exciting,
      and
      I
      feel
      likemy
      own
     
     
      favourite
      band.
      I
      can’t
      wait
     
     
      until
      there
      are
      ten
      of
      them.
      I
     
     
      think
      it
      would
      look
      just
      cool,”
     
     
      said
      Murphy
      about
      the
      work
     
     
      that
      the
      band
      has
      already
      done.
     
     
      Thousands
      of
      fans
      would
      echo
     
     
      this
      sentiment
      ina
      second,
      and
     
     
      thousands
      more
      are
      waiting
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SLOAN
     
     
      One
      Chord
      To
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Another
     
     
      (Murderecords/MCA)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Would
      you
      please,
      wel-
     
     
      come
      to
      the
      page...SLOAN!
      It
     
     
      is
      true
      that
      One
      Chord
      To
      An-
     
     
      other,
      the
      latest
      album
      from
     
     
      Halifax’s
      flagship
      pop
      band
     
     
      Sloan,
      is
      not
      exactly
      new
      to
     
     
      stores
      or
      to
      avid
      MuchMusic
     
     
      watchers.
      The
      album
      was
      re-
     
     
      leased
      on
      June
      21,
      of
      this
      year,
     
     
      on
      Sloan’s
      own
      label
     
     
      Murderecords.
      Almost
      imme-
     
     
      diately
      the
      first
      single
      “The
     
     
      Good
      In
      Everyone”
      received
     
     
      superhitvideo
      status
      and
     
     
      reached
      number
      5
      on
      the
      na-
     
     
      tion’s
      music
      station’s
      hit
      pa-
     
     
      rade.
      With
      the
      increased
      expo-
     
     
      sure
      came
      an
      increasing
     
     
      amount
      of
      popularity
      that
      the
     
     
      band
      has
      never
      seen.
     
    

    
     
      One
      Chord
      To
      Another
     
     
      certainly
      lives
      up
      to
      the
      hype
     
     
      and
      should
      no
      doubt
      deserve
      a
     
     
      mention
      as
      one
      of
      the
      best
      al-
     
     
      bums
      ofthe
      year.
      With
      all
      four
     
     
      members
      of
      the
      band
      taking
     
     
      turns
      writing
      and
      singing,
      each
     
     
      song
      becomes
      increasingly
     
     
      fresh
      in
      terms
      of
      the
      whole
     
     
      album.
      While
      Chris
      Murphy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (bass)
      delivers
      5
      songs
      to
      the
     
     
      12
      track
      album,
      Patrick
     
     
      Pentland
      (guitar)
      weighs
      in
     
     
      with
      3
      songs,
      including
      the
      first
     
     
      twosingles.
      Jay
      Ferguson
      (gui-
     
     
      tar)and
      Andrew
      Scott
      (drums)
     
     
      each
      add
      2
      songs.
     
    

    
     
      Thealbum
      takes
      a
      jab
      at
     
     
      the
      recent
      retro
      craze
      that
      has
     
     
      sprung
      up
      in
      the
      past
      few
      years.
     
    

    
     
      Thesong
      “The
      Lines
      You
     
     
      Amend:’,
      for
      example,
      uses
      an
     
     
      obvious
      CCR
      ripoff,
      most
     
     
      likely
      in
      jest.
     
    

    
     
      From
      the
      4
      track
      record-
     
     
      ing
      style
      for
      the
      drums,
      to
      the
     
     
      stereo
      guitar
      production,
      Sloan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      has
      taken
      the
      best
      recording...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      techniques
      of
      the
      late
      60’s
      and
     
     
      early
      70's
      and
      put
      them
      into
      the
     
     
      context
      of
      a
      very
      obvious
      90's
     
     
      sound.
      Such
      songs
      as
      “Auto-
     
     
      biography”
      and
      “Anyone
     
     
      Who’s
      Anyone”
      are
      somewhat
     
     
      reminiscent
      of
      the
      early
      Brit
     
     
      Pop
      invasions,
      but
      other
      tracks
     
     
      like
      “Take
      The
      Bench”
      and
     
     
      “Everything
      You’ve
      Done
     
     
      Wrong”
      see
      the
      band
      explor-
     
     
      ing
      other
      regions
      and
      times
      to
     
     
      form
      something
      that
      has
      rarely
     
     
      been
      done
      with
      such
      pop
      sensi-
     
     
      bility;
      the
      horns
      certainly
      help
     
     
      thése
      two
      songs
      as
      well.
     
    

    
     
      One
      thing
      that
      has
      made