Quick, Before It Melts.

With the dawn of Summer '08 so close at hand, I couldn't be more thrilled than to have the dawning of a new Sloan album just on the horizon. Parallel Play (out June 10 on the band's own murderecords in Canada, and Yep Roc Records in the U.S.) is a fitting album name for a band that does quite a bit of individual work while in the midst of a group. All four Sloan members function as primary songwriters for the band, as well as carry the vocal duties for each song. The boys don't stray too far from their trademark powerpop sound on their ninth long player (not counting compilations and live albums), but as always, the unique style of each songwriter gives the album a feeling of forward momentum. They've come along way from their My Blood Valentine-inspired Smeared waaaaaaay back in '92, but each step of the journey has solidified their claim on the hearts of Canada's rock community.