''In the Morse Code of Brake Lights'' is the eighth studio album by Canadian indie rock band the New Pornographers, released on September 27, 2019.Daniel Sylvester
"The New Pornographers: In the Morse Code of Brake Lights"
''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', September 24, 2019. The album was preceded in August by its lead single, "Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile".Savannah Sicurella
"The New Pornographers Announce New Album In The Morse Code of Brake Lights, Release First Track"
'' Paste'', August 2, 2019. Following his absence from 2017's ''

Whiteout Conditions ''Whiteout Conditions'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian indie rock band The New Pornographers. It was released on April 7, 2017, and is the first album not to feature either longtime drummer Kurt Dahle or singer-songwriter Dan Bejar. The ...

'', Dan Bejar‘s indefinite departure from the band was confirmed in the press release for this album.Will Hermes
"The New Pornographers Bring Panic-Attack Bubblegum on ‘In the Morse Code of Brake Lights’"
'' Rolling Stone'', September 26, 2019. Nonetheless, he is listed as a co-composer on the track “Need Some Giants”.

Critical response

The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Daniel Sylvester of ''

'' rated the album 7 out of 10, writing that "the fact that all 11 of the LP's songs were written by one person slightly hampers the album's sense of adventure, and ekoCase's phrasings no longer pop and stand out like they used to. Unfortunately, the octet's attempts to add musical flair to each song draws mixed reactions, as the synthetic strings of "Colossus of Rhodes" and "Leather on the Seat" give each song depth, but feel too high in the mix, to the point of distraction. But despite any nitpicky issues one may find with In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, it's refreshing to see the New Pornographers, 20 years into their existence, still trying to swing for the fences." For '' Rolling Stone'', Will Hermes gave the album five out of five stars: "the hooks and the lyrics are as sharp as ever, too, the latter functioning as part anxious messages-in-bottles, part baroque bubblegum life preservers. It’s panic-attack pop, fretting its way through vintage good-time chord changes, and letting us know we’re not alone."

Track listing

Personnel

* A.C. Newman – vocals, guitar * Neko Case – vocals *

John Collins John Collins may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Collins (poet) (1742–1808), English orator, singer, and poet * John Churton Collins (1848–1908), English literary critic * John H. Collins (director) (1889–1918), American director an ...

– bass * Blaine Thurier – keyboards, synthesizer *

Todd Fancey Todd George Fancey is a Canadian guitarist, keyboardist, and solo artist. He is the guitarist for Vancouver-based indie rock band The New Pornographers and the bassist for the band Limblifter. Fancey is originally from Nova Scotia. Early life ...

– lead guitar * Kathryn Calder – vocals, keyboards, guitar * Joe Seiders – drums, vocals *

Simi Stone Simi may refer to: Places * '' Symi'', also transliterated as Simi, a Greek island * Simi Valley, California * Simi Hills, California, a mountain range ** Simi Peak * Arroyo Simi, California, sometimes called Simi Creek * ''Kato Simi'', in Crete, ...

– violin, vocals, percussion

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2019 albums The New Pornographers albums Albums produced by A. C. Newman Concord Music Group albums