If the gentle, sparse ballad style of ‘Niagara’ suggests ‘Niagarama’ is a simple, two-a-penny folk album, then all expectations are blown away by the crisp post-punk pop of ‘Small Parts Moving’. The choppy new wave feel continues through the lively ‘Bacterium’ with its hints of XTC and Elvis Costello. Nostalgia? Well, sort of. ‘Niagarama’ picks at the scabs of life and the ageing process, and does so with an elegance and poignancy that has, at times, a painful resonance.
‘Long Division’ essentially exemplifies what ‘Niagarama’ is all about: songs that begin in one place and end up somewhere very different, bursting into life with huge choruses, exploding with strings, brass and all sorts, and it’s equally bitter and sweet. ‘I Need a War’ is two songs in one, first urgent, edgy, then a mellow slice of Americana.
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‘Bark’ comes on all James Bond, and blends it in with some pub-rock and folk. It should be utter shit, a total disaster, but some deft musicianship and a little audacity can go a long way.
Tracks like the waltzing ‘Too Old For a Crush (To Be Endearing)’ break the flow a bit, but then, they also provide variety, not to mention some surprises, demonstrating a more experimental (and in places, outright noisy) side, making ‘Niagarama’ more than a straightforward indie rock album with some keen pop leanings. It’s intelligently and quirkily crafted, and diverse in scope and sound.
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