CHIRP: The Chicago Independent Radio Project

Jodie Bargeron writes

Rediscovering Our Record Collections: Sloan's "Twice Removed"

In 1994 I happened to have a decent local radio station still rollicking in its hey-day. That’s where I discovered Sloan. I remember hearing “Penpals” in the carpool home from school (when it was my turn to pick the radio station), wondering “Where is Algeria?” and “Who is this band?” It only took a few more glimpses on the radio to head over to Harmony House and pick up my first independent record, “Twice Removed” by Sloan. This was one of those records that I could play on repeat all day after school. It had a starring role on many mix tapes throughout high school. It made guest appearances throughout college and then kind of faded away into my CD collection.

This album remains a quintessential 90s indie pop record. That “waaa-wa” sound of the guitar, endemic of Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, and The Dandy Warhols, encapsulates the era that produced “Twice Removed.” Incidentally, Sloan seems to be the Dandys nerdier cousin. They are cut from the same cloth, but do not possess the same hipster swagger. Anyway, the signature guitar sound gives this record a nostalgic gloss without turning into a caricature of 90s music. The funny part is that Sloan ultimately pays homage to the early 70s sound of their youth, thus sealing their place in 90s music. While this album feels like high school for me, it also feels like an eternal autumn. The songs give you a chill to remember your past without necessarily reminding you what you did in 1994 or 95 (in my case, laying on my bed listening to this album). It’s kind of like early Kevin Smith movies – yes it belongs to that era. But it’s still good.

Also like Kevin Smith this early effort by Sloan is clearly low budget. You can nearly hear someone walk in from the kitchen with a pot of coffee. This gives the album a warm homemade quality. It also shows that the band is on their toes, keeping their performance tight so as to avoid wasting precious time and money on extra takes. Their later albums polish up real nice and are highly produced. But, good bands need that early artifact to remind us how special they are.

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