I think I know ninety percent of the artists I am asked to review; I may not have heard the record, but I know the name.
Can I review Steady by Sloan? Of course, always like listening to an up-and-coming band.
Remember I only said ninety percent. Sloan have been going since 1991 and this is their thirteenth album. Most reading probably know this, but have you heard of Pocket Rockets and their debut singe Video Kid KO? Don’t ask me where that came from.
Anyway, sorry, Sloan have kept the same line up since they formed and each band member writes and sings and they even swap instruments depending on the song they are performing, in other words, talented musicians.
On first listen they reminded me of The Beatles/ELO/The Cars/Squeeze, and these are possibly lazy comparisons, but Human Nature is a piano ballad that I could have seen McCartney singing on a Beatles album and Nice Work reminds me of Day Tripper
It opens strongly with Magical Thinking, the joy of the pa-pa-pa-ra-pa-pa-pa-ra-ra vocal has me and Spend the Day makes you think of one of those songs that you have known all your life, great thumping drums.
She Put Up is a bit to polished for me but Scratch the Surface we have a murky killer guitar riff and Close Encounters is a one of those songs that builds and after a few listens has you thinking I wish I could do that.
The album ends with I Dream of Sleep, a perfect song on the nightmares of insomnia and Keep Your Name Alive takes is an upbeat finish.
I have now heard of Sloan, that’s a good thing.
7/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: Spend the Day