IN THE MORSE CODE OF BRAKE LIGHTS | THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

1.30.20 Morse Code… might sit right next to 2005’s triumph Twin Cinema (#651) or, at least, in second place in their body of work. Whiteout Condition (below a ways) was quite strong but this is The New Pornographers sound at its pinnacle. There is not a down moment here and most of the cuts are uplifting anthems. Song writing is prime. Bravo 

Steve Horowitz at PopMatters writes: According to A.C. Newman, the New Pornographers latest release, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, was not intended to be a concept album. However, he wrote, "I was about two-thirds of the way through the record when I began to notice that lyrically so much of it was pointing toward car songs." That shows in several of the titles (i.e., "You'll Need a Backseat Driver", "Higher Beams", Leather on the Seat"). More importantly, the 11 tracks on the album share that mindfulness one experiences when taking a long road trip. It's that kind of subtle buzz that takes the edge even off the most troubling thoughts.

The album works its magic through a mix of repetition and surprise. The lyrics can be dark and disturbing; about war, death, fear, pain, and such. But the instrumental rhythms and flourishes temper the intellectual situation. . . .