{"product_id":"continue-as-a-guest","title":"Continue as a Guest","description":"\u003cp\u003eOver the past 20 years, \u003cstrong\u003eThe New Pornographers\u003c\/strong\u003e have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. The group’s ninth album and first for Merge establishes them alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA dazzling and intriguing collection of songs, \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e finds bandleader A.C. Newman and his compatriots Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, John Collins, Todd Fancey, and Joe Seiders exploring fresh territory and shattering the barriers of their collective comfort zone. Newman began work on \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e after the band had finished touring behind 2019’s \u003cem\u003eIn the Morse Code of Brake Lights\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThemes of isolation and collapse bleed into this album, as Newman tackles the ambivalence of day-to-day life during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Newman says that \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e’s title track also addresses the concerns that come with being in a band for so long. “The idea of continuing as a guest felt apropos to the times,” he explains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNewman discovered new vocal approaches within his own talent. There are new and rich tones to Newman’s voice throughout \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e, from his dusky lower register over “Angelcover” to his slippery slide over the glimmering synths of “Firework in the Falling Snow,” to bold tones he embraces on the soaring “Bottle Episodes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnother sonic change comes courtesy of saxophonist Zach Djanikian, whose tenor and bass luxuriate all over \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e’s alluring chassis, especially on the menacing build of “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies.” Along with Newman’s usual collaborators, several songwriters contribute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEven as Newman embraces a collaborative spirit more than ever, \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e is a testament to his ability to discover new artistic sides of himself. “I started out as a songwriter more than as a singer, but at some point, you have to sing your own songs,” he says with a chuckle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it’s in that spirit that \u003cem\u003eContinue as a Guest\u003c\/em\u003e sounds like a thrilling path forward for \u003cstrong\u003eThe New Pornographers\u003c\/strong\u003e, with songs that generate a contagious feeling of excitement for the future as well.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50424156750155,"sku":"2006376","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Green LP","offer_id":50424157143371,"sku":"2006377","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50424153801035,"sku":"2006375","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50424157471051,"sku":"2210541","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0-1_d1d1d05a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726774123","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/products\/continue-as-a-guest","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}