Commonwealth (Sloan) | 5/5

SINGAPORE - Fans of pop-rock/power-pop have had a hard time of it ever since the ’90s ended, particularly since the “genre” has been marginalised beyond recognition, thanks to emo-pop-punk bands co-opting the label in the last 15 odd years. Thankfully, Canadian pop-rockers Sloan have been flying the flag for a true-blue representation of power-pop, with critically acclaimed and well-received releases. The latest release, Commonwealth, reflects the band’s inspirations perfectly with numerous Beatlesque parallels that only diehards might pick up on. Commonwealth is a double album with each of the four sides featuring a solo suite by a different band member, as Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, Jay Ferguson and Andrew Scott demonstrate how power-pop is indeed alive and kicking and deserves to be revived in the modern rock arena once more.