If you’ve ever wondered what it sounds like when a group of musical geniuses turns a series of emotional “short stories” into a power-pop explosion, look no further than The New Pornographers’ tenth studio album, ‘The Former Site Of‘. Released on March 27, 2026, via Merge Records, this record proves that bandleader A.C. Newman still has enough hooky melodies in his head to power a mid-sized city. The album has a “tight-yet-widescreen” feel like a perfectly tailored suit that also happens to have a built-in jetpack, thanks to Newman building the skeletons of these tracks in his home studio before unleashing them on legendary collaborators like the vocal powerhouse Neko Case and the ever-reliable Kathryn Calder.
The tracklist is a treasure trove of earworms, starting with the propulsive mandolin riff of “Votive,” which builds into a “wide-open jam” that makes you want to drive a convertible through a car wash just for the thrill of it. Then there’s “Spooky Action,” a spacey anthem inspired by NASA’s Cassini mission; it is likely the only song this year to make a satellite diving into Saturn sound like a high-stakes indie-rock tragedy. For those of us feeling the pinch of modern life, “Pure Sticker Shock” perfectly captures that specific anxiety of looking at a grocery receipt and wondering if you accidentally purchased a small island.
Adding a fresh layer to the band’s signature sound is legendary session drummer Charley Drayton, whose steady, generous textures keep these “intricately textured universes” from floating away into the stratosphere. While the album isn’t afraid to get reflective—as seen in the “tender, evocative” “Ballad of the Last Payphone” it remains a phenomenal addition to their catalog, staying human even when singing about burning gods and space arcs. Ultimately, it is “big idea pop music” for people who like their songs meticulously crafted but with enough energy to start a dance party in a library.
Also, be sure to catch them live at Turner Hall Ballroom here in Milwaukee on May 1, 2026.
Click here to buy your tickets before the show sells out.
Links to check out:
https://www.instagram.com/thenewpornographers/
https://thenewpornos.bandcamp.com/album/the-former-site-of
https://www.thenewpornographers.com/