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Twin Cinema | 
| Artist: The New Pornographers
Label: Matador Records
List Price: $15.98
Buy New: $9.30
You Save: $6.68 (42%)
New (49) Used (15) from $5.99
Rating:  116 reviews
Sales Rank: 2413
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 621
UPC: 744861062127
EAN: 0744861062127
ASIN: B000A2H880
Release Date: August 23, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Same day shipping. Free Upgrade to 1st class mail for all CDs. Professional packaging material. Friendly customer service.
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| Tracks:
| • | Twin Cinema | | • | The Bones of an Idol | | • | Use It | | • | The Bleeding Heart Show | | • | Jackie, Dressed in Cobras | | • | The Jessica Numbers | | • | These Are the Fables | | • | Sing Me Spanish Techno | | • | Falling Through Your Clothes | | • | Broken Breads | | • | Three or Four | | • | Star Bodies | | • | Streets of Fire | | • | Stacked Crooked |
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| Similar Items:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Imagine a loose consortium of musicians who combine the lilting melodies of the Zombies with the driving hooks of the Kinks. Sure, it's what all the kids are doing these days, but Vancouver's New Pornographers are one of the few--along with the Shins--to get the balance right. Their third full-length offers more of the same smart power-pop that made Mass Romantic and Electric Version instant classics, plus some surprising new moves. As singer/songwriter Carl Newman (The Slow Wonder) has noted, "You can't play ebow without sounding like Eno," and indeed, Brian Eno's sublime early recordings are evoked on this more introspective offering. There are also strong new vocalists joining Neko Case: Nora O'Connor (the Blacks) and Newman's piano-playing niece, Kathryn Calder. If there was a flaw with previous efforts, it was that the contributions of Dan Bejar (Destroyer), fine as they were, sounded somewhat out of place. Just as they're better integrated this time around, Twin Cinema offers every member of this insanely talented ensemble the chance to shine. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Album Description
The third album from Vancouver's pop maestros continues to feature Neko Case and Dan Bejar (Destroyer), as well as new vocalists Kathryn Calder and Nora O'Connor. These songs veer more toward the rocking and the personal than the sugar of earlier works. Chief singer/songwriter A.C. Newman has absorbed not just the mechanics of classic songwriting, but the heart, while indulging his admiration of demented current bands like Fiery Furnaces and Frog Eyes. Expect to hear influences from The Moody Blues, Tubeway Army, Wings, Eno, The Stranglers, 10cc, and other greats, all filtered through Newman's warped worldview.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 111 more reviews...
 The third time is still a charm August 27, 2005
Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA)
93 out of 98 found this review helpful
I'm sorry. Those who see a fall off in this album are simply out of their gourd. This is an absolutely fabulous album by one of rock's more unusual groups and one of the finest releases of 2005. The group is unusual in being more or less an assembled supergroup of people from established bands. One of the main members, Neko Case, has a highly successful solo career on her own. Rarely do bands formed in this manner result in the group staying together for very long, yet the Pornographers have managed three excellent albums in five years, quite an achievement.
One is tempted to say that this album is so superb simply because everyone in it is so talented and the songs are all great, and while that is certainly true the history of rock has shown that great talent hasn't always resulted in great music. For whatever reason, these guys have managed to assemble talent that meshes marvelously, with each member willing to step aside a bit for the good of the group. The level of musicianship on this album is exceptional and it is truly a delight listening to people who are all so very good at what they do playing such a great set of songs. If I had a complaint with the album it is that Neko Case doesn't just take over fulltime as lead vocalist. Mind you, Carl Newman, the band's main songwriter, is a very decent vocalist, but Neko Case is a great vocalist. Though he does every song he sings a service, he rarely stands out; Ms. Case does.
Though the band possesses a world of talent, this would count for little if you didn't have great songs to work with. Luckily, these are first rate songs. I can honestly say that there isn't a weak cut on the album, while there are several cuts that are simply outstanding. The title cut is especially compelling, with a marvelous upbeat drive interrupted with some wonderfully dissonate guitars propelled by a strong rhythm section. It moves immediately into the more delicate "The Bones of an Idol," with a typically strong vocal by Neko Case. The next cut, "Use It," might be my favorite on the disc. Though the New Porgraphers rarely remind me of specific bands in their songs, "Use It" reminds me a lot of the Plimsouls, though that might just be the result of sleep deprivation. Another outstanding cut is "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras," one of the few cuts not written by Newman. I also really liked another song sung by Neko Case, "These are the Fables." I could go on, but I'll merely reiterate that I don't dislike a single cut on the album, while I was blown away by several.
Again, I don't know what makes some people complain about a new album by a celebrated band. Is there some inner need to diss some new release? Is there disappointment that it doesn't sound like a clone of previous albums? I really am not sure, but I can adamantly assert that his is a brilliant and immensely enjoyable album. I can't imagine anyone whose principle concern in acquiring an album the enjoyment of great music not being blown away by this. And for those complaining about it, listen to it again! If you aren't stunned by this album, the fault isn't the music.
Best of 2005: Highly enjoyable and diverse November 30, 2005
Manny Hernandez (Palo Alto, CA)
21 out of 27 found this review helpful
"Twin Cinema" eventually takes over your full attention span with the beautiful vocal work and the diversity of their music from track to track. "The Bones of an idol", "The Bleeding Heart Show" and "These are the Fables" are testimony of the extraordinary work of this fascinating Canadian ensemble do (what are they doing to the water north of the border these days?) Without going as full fledge into experimental territory as their Montreal counterparts, Broken Social Scene, they still get a lot accomplished (actually, they sound a bit like BSS' sister band Stars, once in a while), making this album one of the best ones to have been released in 2005.
 Does this add up to the sum of their parts? August 23, 2005
J. T. Winsor (San Francisco, CA United States)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
The moment I heard the choir in "Breakin' the Law" I had a new favorite band. While an unbelievably joyful record, "Mass Romantic's" flaws were it's uneven production and the fact that it sounded much like it was recorded in two halves separated by more than a year. "The Electric Version" had much of the same problems with uneven sound as the three Bejar selections sounded a bit too bolted on, possibly in an effort to prevent it from being the first A.C. Newman solo effort (keep in mind that the NP are Newman's baby through and through). This record doesn't suffer from any of those faults, but I'm not sure that it is a better album than Newman's "The Slow Wonder", Bejar's "Your Blues" or Case's "The Tigers have Spoken". There are definite high lights the opening six songs are as fun and catchy as anything on Romantic, (That is a big highlight). It's nice hear some of the over the top circus organ replaced with piano and Kurt Dahle's heavy beats up front and center. Perhaps it is the changing band dynamic, but the cuts which Case provides the lead vocal lack the fun and humanity that made "Letter From an Occupant" and "All From Swinging You Around" such enjoyable tracks. Like the finale of "Mass Romantic" Newman has mined "Streets of Fire" from Destroyer's "Golden Bridge", an absolute gem that is worth the price of admission alone. That is song destined to be found in a movie soundtrack in the near future. My suggestion with this record is to get it when for the very first time the complete New Pornographers (Destroyer in tow) cast their magic at a mid-sized venue near you.
a charming success August 23, 2005
edwin (Stanford, CA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Although I am generally a very upbeat person, I've realized most of my music is rather gloomy. Positive, upbeat music always seems to fall into one of two categories - either trite and meaningless or overdone and gaudy. I have listened to and enjoyed The New Porographers's first two albums for some time, seeing them as pleasant exceptions, but nothing about them was especially earthshattering or moving.
This album, however, is not only devoid of filler, the songs form a cohesive album in a way I never thought pop like this could. This is a great album any way you measure it - every song is full of several catchy melodies that mean even more together, and the same is true of each song - they mean so much more together than apart. If I wasn't hooked by the completely original sound of the opener, the anthemic refrain of the second half of "The Bleeding Heart Show" did it. Every time after I play this album, I want to do it all over again.
The many layers make this album perfect in so many possible situations - lyrics and song structure that are great for careful listening, but choruses and melodies that make it just right to add to the ambience of a party. I know this one will get a lot more plays.
Give it a little time... August 26, 2005
BigBadZep (So Cal)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
The first two New Pornographers albums were upbeat, in your face rays of sunshine that were fun and exuberant. You can't help smiling listening Mass Romantic or Electric Version. After the first couple listens you would be shaking your ass and singing along.
On Twin Cinema the band takes a different approach. Where Electric Version was a glistening pop flurry of keyboards and electric guitars, Twin Cinema has a reflective touch to it. It focuses more on slow ballads and acoustic numbers, giving the music a more mature sound. It also isn't as immediately accessible as the first two albums, requiring a few more listens before the songs start to reveal themeselves. And once they do the results are stunning: it's an album filled with gorgeous melodies and slow bulid-ups to spine-tingling climaxes.
The biggest suprise may just be how good Dan Bejar's contributions were on this album. Bejar's songs have always been pretty good, but I never considered his songs to be the highligts of the other albums. However, on this album the three songs he writes are three of the album's best.
It's easy to see where a fan expecting another "Letter From An Occupant" might be dissapointed with this effort. But the band is maturing, and in my opinion, it's for the best.
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