SLOAN: NAVY BLUES

SCORE: 89/100


Sloan's 'Navy Blues' feels very Beatle's-esque at heart, with a mid-60s flair and a striking sound from the band, it's an impressive work from the minute it starts; showcasing the fun and entertaining side of the band with a mix of rock and power pop coming together into upbeat and cheerful songs. The style that the band uses on this album is a lot more interesting and enjoyable than what is found on 'Twice Removed', with more flair leading the album into a bigger direction.

It's an album full of pep, with the band working together exceptionally well through their playing and style. The style of this album feels a lot more retro than the project is in actuality - which isn't a bad thing by any means. The harmonies of the band as well as their deeply enjoyable instrumental work make this album a fun listen - it's a hidden gem of sorts.

The songs feel light and airy, a fun sound lingering within each of the tracks making the album easy to listen to; it's wonderfully inviting in all of the best ways, and the clear 60s-70s influence helps to give the album substance and drive. It takes elements from different 60s albums and phones them in to make them sound unique to the band - giving us the most Beatles-y album by a band that ISN'T The Beatles.

'Navy Blues' will probably be my favorite Sloan album out of everything, and their sound here is done to masterclass levels. The coherent sound between the band is frequent and stunning, with the tracks coming together exceptionally well. My only issue with the album as a whole is that it all sounds very similar; leading to a lack of "standout" tracks as they all come up to the same level as one another. The entire album is enjoyable, meaning that it's hard to pick just one or even a few tracks (due to them all keeping a similar pace and sound). 

This is without a doubt the album I would give to anyone looking to get into Sloan - as it feels like a very good introduction to the band. They paint a bigger picture with this album than they do on their 1994 LP, and the overall sound of the album comes together into something that is wonderfully enjoyable and truthfully a lot of fun throughout.

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