British Columbia supergroup the New Pornographers were one of the most notable indie-rock bands of the aughts, releasing four full-lengths to wide-renown in both the populist and high-brow music press. During the same period, the band’s most recognizable players—Carl Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar, in particular—were producing exceptional records through their solo endeavors, attracting as much or more acclaim as the New Pornographer brand itself. The sheer confidence it takes to write great music with this type of consistency continues to ooze out of the band on “Your Hands (Together),” our first taste of the band’s fifth LP, Together (Matador), which arrives May 4. “Your Hands” launches with a guitar-heavy fervor that only intensifies as the Pornos subtly, though powerfully, layer percussive and harmonic touches as each new refrain begins. It’s the energetic sound of a band fomenting with a seemingly endless supply of inspiration, the kind of song that shirks the anxiety of our modern times for the promise of a new decade. Download “Your Hands” below, and read our 2009 Q&A with Newman and our 2005 cover story on the New Pornographers (which landed our writer in hot water with Canadian customs officials because of the porn on his laptop).
“Your Hands (Together)” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/YourHandsTogether.mp3
