I was a late-comer to the incredible music of Sloan. From way back I appreciated their sound and respected their longevity. I certainly didn’t dislike them in the least, they just never really worked their way into rotation. Albums like Navy Blues and Action Pact were nothing short of powerpop masterpieces – consistent, great sounding, well-executed Canadian rock and roll. My short-lived band Fidrych covered “Iggy and Angus.” These guys are absolutely authentic. Detroit’s proximity to Canada lent them (and other Canadian bands) extra cred here. Everyone I know loves them. I bought their records. I never gave up.
That changed in 2011 when they released The Double Cross. For whatever reason that one grabbed me and I was all in for a year or so. I routed a work trip to Montreal back through New York City to see them with Australia’s You Am I opening, an incredible band in their own right. The show was at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, a legendary, now gone rock club. Sloan was a machine – rotating singers and instruments through their catalog for the duration of a raw, fun, solid, tight set. You Am I’s singer Tim Rogers was as intoxicated as I’ve ever seen any human take a stage in my life. And I’ve seen Shane MacGowan in the depths of heroin addiction and alcoholism, barley able to stand multiple times, literally projectile vomiting on stage. I saw disaster coming, but damned if Rogers didn’t pull it together and deliver a fantastic, memorable set. Anyhow… that’s probably a story for another day.
What really caught my attention with “The Double Cross” were the songs of guitarist Jay Ferguson. “Green Gardens, Cold Montreal” and “Beverly Terrace” were standouts on that already great record, but “The Answer Was You” rises above all of them as the perfect pop song. I’m a sucker for 8th note descending chord patterns, left-turn pre-choruses, lyrics that take you on a ride but never leave the road, dark, minor-key bridges, and a late drop-out chorus to give you a chance to catch your breath before the outro takes you home. There’s the song right there. I’ve taken several stabs at that exact formula myself over the years.
As I dove deep into The Double Cross I (re)discovered “False Alarm,” Ferguson’s only contribution to Action Pact. This could be “The Answer is You”’s sister song. The 8th note descending verse, the left-turn pre-chorus… you get the point. It’s got the added coolness of the lead guitar riffs and short bass solo that bring some edge and tension to it, but there’s an excitement and optimism to “The Answer is You” that isn’t quite there. They’re sisters – similar in many ways, but with differences that make them special, and each great in their own right.
Jeremy Porter is a Co-Editor in Chief at Pencil Storm. He lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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