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A Sides Win : Singles 1992-2005

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Sloan

 
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A Sides Win : Singles 1992-2005
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Avg: 4.5 (104 ratings)

An excellent introduction to the Canadian power-poppers.

  • We Say...

    Review by Stacy Flatt

    Sloan formed in 1992 and have long been one of Canada's most popular bands, but they’re not that familiar to American music fans. That's a real shame because, as this compilation shows, they are a gem of a power-pop band. A Sides Win highlights their career from the Beatles-based power-pop of their earlier records to the '70s FM rock-style of their more recent albums. While this compilation does not include all of their best songs, it doesn't have any filler either. From the minor chord harmonies of "Underwhelmed" to the handclaps of "The Lines You Amend," this album is an excellent introduction to Sloan as well as being a great retrospective for the dedicated fan.

  • They Say...

    Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

    Like any good power pop act, Sloan's career follows a specific arc: tentative, appealingly messy debut that's tied perhaps a little too closely to the sound of the time; a breakthrough second album that captures them finding their voice as musicians and songwriters; a third album that's generally acknowledged as the masterpiece since it finds the group stretching and getting a little more sophisticated; a fourth album that's a little harder-rocking because the group is trying to disguise the fact that it's settling into a comfortable, albeit appealing, role as craftsmen; a fifth album that finds them to succumbing to that very fate; and from that point on, they make variations on the same ingratiating blueprint from that point forward. Each album after the third record is good, and certainly the devoted will find merit in each subsequent record, but less dedicated listeners will find the records after that masterpiece to be a little samey, and rightfully so: there are subtle differences between the records, but those differences are indeed so subtle that only the dedicated can explain what separates, say, Pretty Together from Action Pact. But that's why hits compilations from power pop bands are always quite good: they capture the highlights from those samey records to make a tight, dynamic record that's among the group's best. That's certainly the case with Sloan's A Sides Win, which gathers the band's 15 singles, adding the new "Try to Make It" for good measure. While this doesn't contain all of Sloan's great songs -- the opening pair of "Penpals" and "I Hate My Generation" from 1994's Twice Removed aren't here, for instance -- it does contain all the major points, and when they're gathered together, they prove that Sloan has been a band that delivers consistently tuneful, tasteful, smart guitar pop. Of course, that's been a bit of their undoing on proper records -- there's little to differentiate anything after One Chord to Another -- but in terms of a hits collection, it works wonders, making for a cohesive, entertaining listen that proves Sloan is one of the finest power pop acts of its time.

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