Rating:  -
I have to say that I can't agree with the reviewers who see this album as a big drop in quality from previous albums. I find nothing but joy in listening to this and think that several of the cuts rank among their best songs ever. I own all of their albums and the only two that I find at all sub par are their first, SMEARED, and their live album. All the others are at least very good. Instead of tarring the album with broad strokes, I would like to see the album's detractors talk more in specifics. What particular cuts do they find so awful? "Gimme That," which starts the album off, is vintage Sloan, while "The Rest of My Life" is one of their all time finest cuts. "False Alarm" is yet another great Sloan single. "I Was Wrong" is another great one. My favorite cut on the album, however, and one of my favorite Sloan songs, is the hard driving "Reach Out." I mean, what's not to love on this album?
In fact, this album is proof of Sloan's ongoing brilliance. In terms of sheer quantity, Sloan has produced as much great music as all but a few bands over the past dozen years. The only two bands I can think of that can match Sloan in the number of great songs produced are Sleater-Kinney and Belle and Sebastian. Sleater-Kinney cut fewer tracks than the other two, but I'm not sure they ever cut a bad song (their 2006 hiatus [code for retirement] still pains me) while Belle and Sebastian recorded more than either band, but with a few bad cuts along the way.
I do think that there is a tendency among many fans of bands to willfully see decline in prolific bands, even when such decline does not exist. And with the brilliance of 2006's NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT, it is clear the band isn't even close to easing up in turning out great music.
Rating: -
This album was one of the best discoveries I've made in recent years. I do not understand all the reviewers who were disappointed by this album compared to their earlier work. I've heard Twice Removed, and this album is vastly superior, although I know this viewpoint is blasphemy to most Canadians. Each of these songs is extremely well crafted, so much so that I've spent time figuring out how to play them myself. I'd also like to note that as probably the biggest Beatles fan in North America, despite many other bands' sounds being described as Beatlesesque, this is the first band that has ever reminded me of The Beatles. It is not their sound so much that is familiar but the tangible energy of the songs. Their music puts a big smile on my face, and I frequently get genuinely caught up in their rock and roll, particularly with I Was Wrong, that is disarming and makes me feel young. You just can't go wrong with this album.
Rating:  -
I've been spoiled by Sloan and their virtuosity on their earlier albums, with different sounds and experimentations, while still incorporating their terrific knack for writing melodic and memorable tunes. One review I read (outside of Amazon) said that the songs on this CD "gel like no other Sloan album" as a unit, or something. Another not so praiseworthy way of expressing that thought might be to say that all the songs sound the same. I LIKED the different moods, with vocals and songwriting from ALL the members. It kept me interested and affirmed to me that Sloan was one of the best bands, all around, period. I hope this cd's production isn't a sign of where the band wants to go. They're still falling between the cracks, with songs that are probably intended to be radio-ready, but in this case, just aren't that special. I await their next cd...ummm...anxiously.
Rating:  -
When you compare this album to the first 4 Sloan masterpieces, this one will come up a bit short. Full of guitar licks and rock and roll tunes, Sloan is staying fairly middle of the road on this one. Though some good harmonies remain and hints of "old school" Sloan rear its head at times, this album simply doesn't make the impact that earlier ones did. I realize that many people thought the "Beatlesy" sound of the first 4 albums was too derivative, and that Sloan loves to "rock out", but I personally find the rocking out that occurs on "The Good in Everyone" (One Chord to Another) much more enjoyable than anything on this disc. Not to say that the album isn't strong, obviously Sloan is a great band, especially live, but I feel like they are capable of so much more. Action pact is just that, but it lacks the quality songwriting that came before in the land of Sloan. Perhaps its time to reinstate the songwriting talents of Andrew, who did not write any of the songs on this album. This album, in particular, is for fans of the White Stripes, Cheap Trick, and The Who.
Rating: -
I recently saw sloan with jet. When Sloan played a better show than jet did(and jet rocked), I decided to check them out. This is the first sloan album i have bought. The entire album is great, my favorite tracks are live on, ready for you, and fade away. Sloan reminds me of the beatles, all four of them sing, they even sound like the beatles at times, but heavier. The bassist plays guitar, the guitarist plays bass, the lead singer/guitarist plays drums and the drummer sings/plays guitar. They are unbelievable musicians, and i plan to own their entire catalog in a short time. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!
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