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Title: Major letdown
Review: I've been a fan of Sloan since "Smeared," and have always looked forward to the next album. Some folks maligned "Between the Bridges," but I thought it was one of their best efforts, especially Jay Ferguson's stuff. But "Pretty Together" just doesn't do it for me. It sounds like an empty, rote exercise. The melodies are flat, the performances perfunctory, the spirit lacking. Worst of all, the distinctive songwriting personalities of all four Sloaners have been homogenized into one big rock sound that's just not very distinctive. I thought the New Pornographers' last album is more Sloan than the new Sloan. And a whole lot better. I hope that "Pretty Together" is just a career hiccup and that Sloan will bounce back. This album is sort of like being let down by formerly dependable friends.
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