Sloan is fast becoming one of my favorite bands of all time. It seems no matter what, when, where and how they do it, they do it right and they leave a trail of ass-kicked fans gushing over their live show, which is second-to-none. Their last record took some time to grow on me and now here I am, thinking it might be their best yet. Really. With each album, they seem to get better. So rare these days.
In trying to define Sloan, I could type for hours but it wouldn’t do it justice. So I’ll do it through video. “Flying High Again” (from their latest) isn’t their best song ever and their energy in this video isn’t even 10% of what they’re like live, but it’s a great little minute-and-a-half ditty that showcases what I like so much about them – four singers and four songwriters who all take a turn during this one little song. Check it:
Now, take a look at this little mini-infomercial, where you get a good sense of the light-hearted personality of the band and a better sense of their talent – they all play each other’s instruments, too – when you see them live, at least once or twice during the show it’s like a Chinese fire drill when everyone drops their instruments and switches it up. Anyway, this video is a great microcosm for the group:
…..and finally, here’s the first Sloan song I ever heard, called “Losing California.” What a way to get introduced to the band!