Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
(Sub Pop) CD & LP
The boys are back! After some time away devoted to other projects — most notably Sunset Rubdown & Handsome Furs — Wolf Parade return with what might be considered a slight foray into indi-prog? Word on the street is that Dan Boeckner stepped up his songwriting & yes, it’s undeniable that At Mount Zoomer‘s most immediate tracks are fronted by Boeckner; “Language City” especially jumps out, it’s a total stomper. On the Spencer Krug front, “Bang Your Drum” sounds like it could’ve been on Random Spirit Lover & despite being fronted by Dan, opener “Soldier’s Grin” has Spencer’s noodly synths all over it. On the eleven minute epic closer “Kissing The Beehive”, both vocalists pop up; it’s a great balance of everything WP has to offer, plus it’s got a quirky 9/8 proggy outro (awesome!). While bearing some twists & turns structurally, the overall feel of At Mount Zoomer is, well, plain old rock & roll. Tracks like “California Dreamer” & “Fine Young Cannibals” are driven by dancey backbeats & sing-along style choruses; they’ll be brilliant live. Nine more passionate tales for young disenchanted dreamers about rude awakenings & leaving the city… an exceptional sophomore album from Wolf Parade.