The songwriting of A.C. Newman, lead tunesmith of indie power-pop heroes The New Pornographers, has always been a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, his lyrics, intricate and impressionistic, don’t seem all that catchy on the page. Yet, once his irresistible hooks kick in, listeners tend to find themselves shouting along with head-scratching refrain.
Newman has a seemingly boundless ability to churn out albums full of such songs, so much so that his career with his regular band can’t contain them all. Shut Down The Streets is his third solo album to fill in the gaps between band releases, and it finds the songwriter as close to straightforward confessional mode he’s ever likely to be.