Wolf Parade Releases Sophomore LP
Canadian Indie Rock Band's Album At Mount Zoomer Came Out June 17th
Wolf Parade's vocalist/guitarist Dan Boeckner and vocalist/keyboardist Spencer Krug often make a good team writing the band's material. Their debut, the critically acclaimed 2005 Apologies to the Queen Mary, saw the two taking turns songwriting to great success. So why is it that on At Mount Zoomer, the band's second full-length album, the two songwriting styles seem to clash almost as much as the cover art?
Side Projects Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown Influence Sound
Some of the blame may lie with their musical directions. Boeckner and Krug's side projects—Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown, respectively—are entirely different from one another, yet their sounds have become prevalent in Wolf Parade's music. Sunset Rubdown's trademark soft synthesizers come through in many Krug songs (“California Dreamer”) and Handsome Furs' harsher, yet poppy keyboard/guitar sound is prevalent on “Soldier's Grin”, for one. It may seem unfair to group the music into the categories of “Krug” and “Boeckner”, but when listening to the album, it's easy to tell which songs belong to which songwriter, and this makes At Mount Zoomer feel like a split album at times..
While Krug and Boeckner's outside influences often distance the album, they sometimes add greatly to an otherwise bland song. The opening track, “Soldier's Grin”, features intertwining guitar and piano melodies (thanks to Boeckner) which make it fun to listen to. Krug's staccato piano on their first single, “Call it a Ritual”, has an offbeat feel that will keep the track fresh in one's mind. Unfortunately, these moments are rare, and the majority of the album appears generic—which is unusual for Wolf Parade.
Wolf Parade Mature and Soften Album
At Mount Zoomer should be a decent-to-good album. The musical talent and stylistic eccentricity that made Apologies to the Queen Mary a success is still there, as is the band's songwriting prowess. But the problem the band now faces is that of maturity. Wolf Parade has definitely evolved between their two albums, but this now serves as a problem for them. The style they now choose may feature excellent songwriting, but it also features ultimately forgettable songs.
The development the band shows in At Mount Zoomer makes their music infinitely calmer, which in turn makes it less interesting to listen to. Specifically, “Soldier's Grin” feels as if the band has reined in their intensity, especially in terms of Krug and Boeckner's singing. Dan Boeckner has always been the calmer vocalist, but when singing about riding “horse shapèd fire” and escaping the trials of the modern world, he seems to lack any passion. Spencer Krug used to display a voice reminiscent of his former bandmate Carey Mercer, but he now mostly keeps it high and distant. Instead of the fun youthful energy Wolf Parade put into the first album, listeners are now greeted with smug and tame maturity. Although this does make tracks like the much-too-short “Call it a Ritual” and “California Dreamer” fun to listen to, it makes their longer movements (“Fine Young Cannibals” and the ten minute “Kissing the Beehive) nigh unlistenable, unlike the time-consuming thrill ride “Dinner Bells” off their first album.
7.5/10—A significant step down from their debut, At Mount Zoomer still has its high points thanks to their talented musicians and songwriters. You won't be inclined to drop everything and listen to the album, as with their debut,but it has quite a few points where Wolf Parade's newfound calmness and maturity bring forth something moderately brilliant.
You can follow Wolf Parade here, or check on Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug's side projects here
