Say what you will about 2008's At Mount Zoomer*, but few bands released better albums last decade than Wolf Parade's 2005 debut Apologies to the Queen Mary. The playful synths, Krug/Boeckner's barked verses, the foot stomping choruses were charming and exciting and critically acclaimed. With a band of Wolf Parade's pedigree (Krug is in 3 other bands, Boeckner half of husband-wife duo Handsome Furs), you worry that the magic of their debut was simply a perfect storm, never to be assembled again. Upon releasing two new tracks last week off their forthcoming Expo '86, a sigh of relief was audible from hipster strongholds up and down the eastern seaboard.
Most apparent in these new tracks is the return of the synth lines that were so integral to the success of their debut. Between the dual guitar riffs and Krug yelping forlornly about "being sorry for things I do in my dreams", the synths add an extra melodic blanket and a new-wave edge to what is otherwise pretty straightforward garage rock. As a result, the new songs sound like an amalgam of the best parts of the first two records, taut and focused, yet still teeming with ideas.
What Did My Lover Say?
Ghost Pressure
*it's sprawling and unfocused.
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