This time, it’s personal. On his third solo full-length, Shut Down the Streets, New Pornographers frontman A.C. Newman delivers a batch of songs deeply influenced by family matters, specifically the birth of his son and the death of his mother. So, yes, it’s unabashed “dad rock,” but even while recounting the joys of settling down (“I’m Not Talking”), giving awkward advice to his young child (“There’s Money in New Wave”) and chronicling profound grief (“Shut Down the Streets”), Newman’s knack for haunting melodies and unrelenting hooks abounds. It’s not all catchy introspection, however. With Neko Case guesting on the chorus, “Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns” is an easy entrant in Newman’s pantheon of joyously heartbroken baroque shout-alongs.
Thu., Oct. 25, 8:30 p.m., $15, with Mynabirds, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-821-7575, r5productions.com.
