The Rock Blogger

Wolf Parade . At Mount Zoomer . 2008. Sub Pop Records. 4.5 stars .

Well, I’m back from New York City, and seeing that I haven’t posted anything new in the past week or so, I need to get back into the swing of things with something truly noteworthy. I am relived to see that my brief hiatus didn’t sink my traffic, in fact I’ve had more visitors come by during my absence than any other period in the last month and half. Go figure.

Since NYC is the really the epicenter of Western cosmopolitanism, my trip was a great opportunity to take in a diverse soundtrack as I roamed Manhattan’s grid. Strangely enough, I would have a Montreal band blaring in my ears, washing over all the taxi horns and police sirens. Yes, I finally got a hold of the new Wolf Parade album, three (long) years after their breakthrough Apologies to the Queen Mary.

I’m happy to say that Wolf Parade have avoided the sophomore slump. After the much beloved, high-strung, art-pop weirdness that was Apologies , these fellows had a high watermark to surpass, and they have clearly met it with this geyser of creative energy. From the opening keyboard jittering of "Soldier’s Grin", you can tell that the band have found their sound, combining whacked-out, electronic dabbling with charismatic indie-rock artiness, wrapped around strange evocative lyrics and undeniable charm.

While the white-knuckled urgency that graced "Shine a Light" and "Grounds for Divorce" on their debut has been somewhat diminished, the extra space given to their newest work allows the band to focus on more elaborate song structures and dynamics, paving the way for expansive neo-psychedelic wanderings. Keyboards, particularly the hard hitting piano of "Call it a Ritual", are given greater credence on Zoomer, further articulating Wolf Parade’s theatricality. While this could have easily become a pompous mess, Wolf Parade never take things too far and use prog-like experimentation to highlight their wonderstruck sensibility, paying tribute to fellow "California Dreamers" who just want to enjoy a free and lovely life.

While its hard to find instant ‘hits’ on this record, unlike the more hook-laden Apologies , tunes like "Language City" clearly demonstrate the band’s knack for well-paced, progressive song craft. Though some songs are fairly stronger than others (the opening trio and epic 10 minute finale are clear standouts), At Mount Zoomer is devilishly entertaining all the way through. Fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers should be quickly taken by the wide-eyed quirkiness that sets them above the burgeoning indie-rock crowd.

Language City (Live)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 10:43 am and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.