Since it was released a few weeks ago, many critics have been raving about The New Pornographers latest release, Twin Cinema. With so many positive reviews, I felt an obligation to go out and buy the CD, which is exactly what I did.

When I first listened to it, I wasn’t so sure I agreed with all those reviewers. Maybe because the band’s style, which isn’t so easily categorized, has to aurally ripen for a while to be appreciated. As I played the disc more, it really began to grow on me. After owning Twin Cinema for a few weeks it’s now the CD I can’t stop listening to.

So what do the The New Pornographers sound like? In some songs I hear modern indie rock like The Decemberists. Other songs have a classic rock influence say from The Zombies, or maybe Jefferson Airplane. But the musical influence I hear most is that of Robyn Hitchcock, especially with musical hooks and surrealistic lyrics like those in the song “These Are The Fables.”

In coral and gray,
In submarine chambers,
One day,
It swam for the light.
The jewels that lit,
The cities that float there,
Cities in circles drawn perfect, complete,
Holding the secrets on my street.

So come in and play.
The song of the siren,
It’s commonplace.
You hear the voice rise,
In one wave,
And crash on your doorstep,
Making the circle here perfect, complete.
These are the fables on my street.

The closing track, “Stacked Crooked,” is currently my favorite. The song begins in a somber manner with more surrealistic lyrics, then gradually builds a nervous sense of excitement.

We’ve both sat through the red light of the hours,
I tried to imagine it.
I couldn’t imagine it.
The vantage falling from the ivory tower,
I tried to imagine it.
I couldn’t imagine it.

You click and toss,
Your cryptic crossword locks.
You nearly abandon talks,
And now it’s hard to say,
Why we would wake,
In smoke and mirror states,
Stacked crooked all along, but now I’m on my way.

The anticipation pays off in an uplifting, joyful chorus with a melody and harmonies I can’t get out of my head.

Do not, do not deny me,
Deny my love’s reveal.
Do not, do not deny me,
My Achilles’ heel.
Do not, do not deny my,
Attention to detail.
Do not, do not deny me,
The clicking of the heels.

When the song (and the CD) is over I invariably hit the back button to hear it all over again.