Sloan - Pretty Together

Sloan is one of those bands that should be a bigger deal than they are given how good they've been for a long period of time. They're a pretty big deal in their native Canada because they're a very big and talented fish in a relatively small pond. In America they're hardly known at all despite being really really good at writing catchy songs with very clever lyrics.

Anyway, Pretty Together was my introduction to Sloan. I bought it because Joe, a Hoodlum's employee, handed me this disc when I asked if he could recommend something good that I probably hadn't heard. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this album and Sloan in general is the fact that all the members of the band share songwriting duties and yet each album works as a cohesive whole. Very few bands are as good at being a band as Sloan, and that really shows on this album. Pretty Together rocks, rolls, sighs wistfully, cries, and then rocks all over again. Just listen to it (or any other Sloan album because they're all great) and you'll know what I mean about wishing Sloan was bigger in America.