I hate to bring up the dreaded economy angle in yet another piece of journalism. Changing times, however, create trends in culture and consumption-two areas that bear heavily on the world of popular music. I predict that upbeat, jangly pop music will see a resurgence in the upcoming weeks and months. A.C. Newman, best known for his work with the New Pornographers, is coming out with a new solo album in the nick of time. Newman's brand of melodic, fast-paced indie pop, which very much emulates the music of the aforementioned band, was given a place to shine with last week's Get Guilty. The New Pornographers, a jangle-pop "supergroup" (If you consider selected musicians from bands Destroyer, Immaculate Machine and Limblifter, along with singer-songwriter Neko Case, to be "super." It's okay, I haven't heard of some of those bands either) frequently overburden their songs with too much production. Get Guilty provides similar songs with a sparer production, allowing the songs to breathe better-something I think the New Pornographers' songs dearly need at times.

The album is sprawling from the start, not unlike the truly collective-sounding Bright Eyes tracks off his storied 2002 album Lifted, such as "Make War." The first couple songs, especially album opener "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve," wouldn't be out of place on Saddle Creek Records, home of Bright Eyes and his ilk. The songs sound all-encompassing, with echoed backup vocals and fast melodies that run all over the place.

There's a technique Newman has of using somewhat difficult-to-understand lyrics that break suddenly into chorus at strange times. "Submarines of Stockholm" features verses and la-la-las that break forth into the phrase "One in a series of, one in a series of, highlights and holy lows, one in a series." It is nonsensical. But, if you can believe it, it's highly catchy.

I've often thought that Newman's songs, like the New Pornographers', lack depth. Beyond the infectious, catchy melodies and the (at times) creative instrumentation, the songs don't have a lot of soul. In this regard, I think Get Guilty may fare better than 2004's The Slow Wonder. There may not be a track as off-the-bat catchy as that album's "Miracle Drug," but overall, I think these songs have more replay value than some of the tracks from The Slow Wonder.

WBRS is giving away tickets to Newman's show on Saturday, March 14 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. I've never seen Newman live, but I have seen him perform with the New Pornographers, and if their live act is any indication of Newman's solo performances, one can rest assured that his set will undoubtedly serve to take concertgoers' minds off their budgets.