SLOAN | ONE CHORD TO ANOTHER
East Coast rock hit a peak in the mid to late nineties and Halifax-based Sloan was at the forefront of it all. Their major label debut Twice Removed is hailed as one of the greatest Canadian albums of all time, but it was the follow-up that proved they were willing to play by their own rules…which included releasing under their own independent record label after being dropped from the majors.
One Chord To Another effortlessness displays a heart-on-a-sleeve low fi DIY aesthetic. While bands at the time were polished and full of alternative sheen, Sloan somehow managed to make everything sound like a lived-in unraveling sweater. The drums were rumoured to have been recorded on cassette, and the songs, while super melodic were aping on Beatles and Beach Boys melodies scuffed up with some East Coast wear.
The album isn’t full of dynamic range and introspect, and it doesn’t need to be. No one was expecting perfection and precision. Instead, it plays out as a fantastic trip of indie pop delightfully boasting singalong tracks from its vintage letterhead jacket-wearing leader Chris Murphy. “Autobiography” is pure Lennon and McCartney being reignited for the mid-90’s Canadian indie scene. There’s attention to detail taken in the stereo panning and the heartwarming effect of the doubled vocal track. “Junior Panthers” and “A Side Wins” beam with upright piano vintage antiquity. Nothing is processed or lacquered. It’s an exercise in 1970’s wooden panelled basement wall faded memories.
Rockers like “G Turns To D” and “The Good In Everyone” remain quintessentially Sloan-esque, which is to say nostalgia and avoiding the traps of their peers like Our Lady Peace and I Mother Earth who were fighting for the most fidelity and sincerity possible. Considering what was popular in 1996, the charm here is entirely in the missing low end and tape saturated drums, whereas most counterparts soaked themselves in Alternative Rock’s glaze of high-quality production. “Everyone You’ve Done Wrong” is all horns and handclaps showcasing Patrick Pentland’s sugar-pop songwriting. It was a huge single at a time which upon listening now reminds us how impossible that would be in the current era.
“The Lines You Amend’ rift on country rock barking while Jay Ferguson wryly sentiments about Ringo Starr. “Can’t Face Up” epitomizes the albums sound with its vintage drum sound, sparkling guitars, and earnest vocal line. The entire album feels light and summer-y, honest and sensible. There is a confidence that glues the album together despite it’s lack of high fidelity. While Twice Removed is still considered as perfect album, One Chord To Another showed that a band could follow something glorious by being loose and flawed, and unapologetically have a good time doing it. Nothing has ever felt as relaxed and unfastened yet so splendid.
The Junior Panther
2 oz brandy
2 oz ameretto
1 oz oz Alexander Keiths beer
- Mix ingredients in a rocks glass with ice and stir.