Sloan - Never Hear The End Of It (2006)

One of the most successful Canadian bands of the last fifteen years, Sloan has now finished its eighth studio album, Never Hear the End of It -- the first on new US label Yep Roc Records. Yet another Sloan serving of august and finely crafted rock, Never Hear the End of It is also thirty tracks long. You heard me. Thirty. From pop masterpieces like "Who Taught You to Live Like That" (which clocked the highest number of first week downloads in iTunes history upon its Canadian release), to the unforgettable "Listen to the Radio," this album could, for any other band, be close to three perfect records. Throughout their critically lauded career (including a recent tour with The Rolling Stones), Sloan has managed to share songwriting duties between all members and never have a single change in line-up. Records like Never Hear the End of It are the reason Sloan have remained valid for so long.

Never before has a Sloan record generated such extreme reviews by critics and fans. The band's eighth studio recording, Never Hear the End of It, contains a whopping 30 songs on one disc, ranging from 50 seconds to just over five minutes in length. The bulk of those tracks average roughly two-and-a-half minutes and bleed into each other--at times rather abruptly. As a result, the disc feels like an eccentric art-project; even the strongest tracks prove to be more of an appetizer, leaving listeners longing for a main course. Stylistically, there are no surprises. The group's music tends to fall into Sloan's two traditional categories: Beatles-esque stylings or '70s-influenced rock tunes. Noteworthy highlights include disc opener "Flying High Again" with its Crosby, Stills & Nash harmonies, and the blisteringly old-school punk rock pacing of "HFXNSHC." Fans of this disc compare Never's nonstop onslaught of songs to Liz Phair's Exile In Guyville or the Clash's Sandinista, while naysayers find the short, fast melodies insufficient in length and substance. Like all music, beauty is in the ear of the beholder, so expect Never Hear the End of It to be on many critics' Best or Worst lists at year's end. --Denise Sheppard

"Like a Beatles "best of" that no one had discovered"-- -- Filter, January 2007

"Most of the songs stand up separately, but the album's cumulative effect is even better: a sheer abundance that insists there's enough pop to give every human concern a tune." -- The New York Times

"The [album] plays like the greatest British Invasion best-of you've ever heard." -- Spin, January 2007

What the second side of the Beatles' "Abbey Road" would have sounded like if it were more than 80 minutes. -- Wall Street Journal