Customer Reviews

Action Pact

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At first listen, "Action Pact", Sloan's 7th studio LP, is barely identifiable as the follow-up to 2001's Pretty Together; all the songs are fast and rockin', with guitars cranked
to new heights and fabulous vocal harmonies strewn all over the place. Also, it is indisputably the band's "fastest" album to date, with its quick-tempo song assemblage clocking in at just under 40 minutes. Nevertheless, as listeners work their way through the disc, they'll discover an unhappy quality that is inundated throughout the recording; this is a characteristic that Action Pact and Pretty Together share, at least to a certain extent.

On A.P., Sloan appears to have developed the tones of Pretty Together, with the addition of a sonic touch that is perhaps slightly reminiscent of their early 90s origins, as well as mid-80s rock. Some of the results are undoubtedly sloan-esque (see "Gimmie That", "I Was Wrong" and "Reach Out"), while others seem to have departed from what has come to be known as the "sloan sound" (it is almost debatable, for instance, whether
"Backstabbin'" was actually written by Patrick Pentland or the collective members of KISS and AC/DC!).

The cohesiveness of Action Pact seems the obvious culprit for the creation of the different sound. Working with producer Tom Rothrock in Los Angeles may have indeed altered the likeable "Sloan democracy," even though the band members seem closer than they ever have before. The idea of having a Chris & Patrick powered album was a good one, but when the tones of Pretty Together are joined with strong 80s influences and new-wave punk (as is the case on "Hollow Head" & "Who Loves Life More?"), this choice becomes questionable. In fact, Action Pact
can actually seem downright depressing after a full listen-through, as too many of the songs have minor undertones. Even
Jay Ferguson's songs are less mellow and more down than usual - "False Alarm" may as well be a long-lost Smeared tune. Moreover, it is a great tragedy that there are no psychedelic songwriting contributions from drummer Andrew Scott (though
on this album he still drums very well!).

Unlike Pretty Together, Action Pact is definitely NOT sugary pop, although 2 of Chris Murphy's tracks (both the first single "The Rest of My Life" and the Travis-like "Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore") seem to be obvious progressions from nostalgic P.T. songs, and serve to provide a nice break from the other songs on the record. That said, the abudance of good-time rockers on Action Pact still makes for a great listening experience! While it may seem a bit "too much" at first, each individual song is thoroughly enjoyable, and A.P. is another great work from the greatest Canadian rock band. If new to the Sloan catalogue, however, I would recommend that you begin your Sloan journey with either One Chord to Another, Navy Blues or Between the Bridges before taking this pact for action.

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!!!

This CD is totally upbeat and unlike other Sloan records it contains no experimental songs. What you get is straight ahead rock n roll, guitar bass and drums. Every song is uptempo and sounds best loud. I expect 4 or 5 hits in Canada. The release of a Sloan record is always a treat and Action Packed is no different.

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.

Yeah, that's like saying what's the best Beatles album? This release is a top notch group effort. This slab was produced by Tom Rothrock and he did a masterful job. Since all 4 members of Sloan write songs, putting a release together previously would include a democratic process in song selection. This time however, Rothrock had the band work as a team, and now there's a consistency that had clearly been missing. And yet, it certainly doesn't feel 'overproduced,' just focused. The Canucks' last release was a bit of a downer, but this one makes up for it in a big way. Of the group's 7 studio albums, this ranks very highly with me. I find it has an amazing repeat listenability factor. If someone asked me to recommend a Sloan disc as an introduction to the band, it would be a toss-up between AP and OCTA. Both are masterpieces. OCTA is more rockin', but AP rocks too and its maturity is refreshing. It's hard for a band to grow musically and still appeal to their core fans. I think this band does it gracefully. And like every Sloan release, it contains Hooks A Plenty!

My wife and I finally agreed on something, this CD would have been better without the last 3 songs. For most bands, 9 out of 12 great songs would make a great CD, but seeing as how this is Sloan, and in the past 5 years that I have been a fan, there was only one other song that I have to skip when it plays (Pick it up and Dial It) I was a little (but not very) disappointed.

"Reach Out" is tedious, the words "Reach Out" get repeated 19 times in a row to conclude the song. The drum work on the song is excellent, and is the only reason that it isn't a skipper. "Who loves life more" is painful, and "Fade Away" is only average.

The best song on this disk goes to Patrick (as it usually does) "I Was Wrong" is one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard, not to mention completely true. Sometimes the only way to get the wheels rolling again with your significant other is to admit you are wrong, even if you aren't.

Favorite Songs :Gimme That, Live On, Rest Of My Life, False Alarm, Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore, and of course I Was Wrong. Great tunes, great harmonies, fun sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-in-the-car songs.

Maybe the 3 songs I didn't care too much for wouldn't have made it had Andrew not been to busy to write a few more songs. I applaud him for spending time with his new daughter rather than waste time writing songs for the album, I only hope there is a double dose of Andrew songs on the next album to make up for it.

It seems to me that Sloan is listening to their fanbase with this one. I don't have Pretty Together due to the collective sigh issued by reviewers everywhere. Between The Bridges was so good, I didn't want to have my buzz ruined. So Sloan must have heard. Dropping the keyboards and punching up the guitars and the tempos, Sloan delivers a more hard nosed sound. But the advances in songwriting made over the years have not been jettisoned. Sure, "Backstabbin'" is some big dumb rock but they have never denied their taste for these moments. But then again a song like "Who Loves Life More?" somehow invokes Brian Eno in its harmonies.Their taste for the 80s is subtly mixed with the 60s and 70s throughout. What you get are those tight harmonies delivering thoughtful lyrics over some really tight rock riffs and grooves. The mood is downcast overall but never at the expense of some really driving pop/rock that is opposed to the prevalent adolescent mope you find coming from most quarters. While clearly embracing the emotive rush of youth, Action Pact is made by adults who like to rock. So if you have problems with four grown men holding onto the redemptive powers of two guitars, bass, and drums, clear out. And with time, this album sinks its teeth in and hangs on. It simply supercedes any rock hang-up I have and says this is real. It is all about leaving any critical sawhorse behind and getting swept up in the moment.

Wow. I've been a Sloan fan since the 1st CD came out (6 studio releases ago) and always look forward to the new release, but this one has really exceeded my best expectations. It rocks from beginning to end, with inventive vocal work and creative song structures around every corner, and no thow-away songs that should have been b-sides. Several PERFECT songs include "Gimme That", "Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore", and the masterpiece "Reach Out" (this may be Patrick Pentland's Tomorrow Never Knows - droning, experimental, minimalist, amazing). "Action Pact" will sit proudly next to FOW's "Welcome Interstate Managers" in my CD changer for the next few months. Buy this CD, crank it up in your headphones, and get excited about MUSIC again.

Action Pact has all the flash, fancy guitar work, and thrilling harmony you'd expect from Sloan. The pure Sloan genius of Gimme That, I Was Wrong, and False Alarm live here alongside the hollow but rockin' Hollow Head and the dopey but charming Ready for You. For me, the irresistible lure of Sloan lies in their awe-inspiring beauty, their delightful clumsiness, and their undying confidence and drive.

If you're new to Sloan, you'll find yourself on a pleasure trip if you start with Twice Removed and work your way through chronologically.

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.