With new wave, power-pop, glam and electro-pop signatures writ large, the songs are as slippery to grasp as ever but reward the returning visitor, with AC Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar trading lead roles in an exuberant celebration of the band's deep talent pool.
Case, whose solo outings are more intense experiences, seems to particularly relish her role as a straight-down-the-line pop singer.
• The New Pornographers. Brill Bruisers. Matador Records.
• Four stars (out of five)
Single download: Brill Bruisers
For those who like: Spoon, The Decemberists, Okkervil River
- Jeff Harford
