Wolf Parade – Expo 86
by Hollis Thomann (Linguistics), published September 2nd 2010
Wolf Parade draws its success from the minds and words of two highly talented and acclaimed songwriters. What makes Wolf Parade unique is that their material is written by two independently successful musicians, Spencer Krug (Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes and Swan Lake) and Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs), while still being a cohesive band. Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005) is a nearly perfect album with just the right balance of clever lyricism, which is characteristic of Spencer Krug although Boeckner also writes half of the songs, and strong drum and electric guitar-heavy rock beats supplied by Boeckner. The two distinct sounds that Krug and Boeckner present in their other main projects, Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs respectively, do not interfere here on Apologies - somehow they create a complex yet incredibly listenable sound.
Although both Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs are top bands in their own right, both of their sounds can become too much after a couple songs. Sunset Rubdown becomes too light and Handsome Furs becomes too heavy (particularly with the drumming). Sunset Rubdown is known for its dream-like quality and five minute plus songs. Their music has been an inspiration for Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter character in Alice and Wonderland (2010), ‘I get musical inspiration for the characters. Like for example, there was a band — actually, Terry Gilliam turned me on to this band — called Sunset Rubdown. It was a great few songs on there that just defined the Hatter for me perfectly.’ Handsome Furs has more of a classic rock and roll sound with strong yet simple beats and Broeckner’s distinct male vocals. ‘Evangeline’, ‘I’m Confused’, and ‘Legal Tender’ are their best. However magnifiscent both are, it is not often that I want to listen to Random Spirit Lover (2007) or Face Control (2009) in one sitting; whereas Apologies has songs that are so well constructed, varied, and mastered they rarely become overbearing.
Then 2008 brought At Mount Zoomer for Wolf Parade. While still capable of creating well-crafted and edited songs (specifically Soldier’s Grin, Language City, The Grey Estates); you can see the unraveling of teamwork and divergence of unity in songs, previous strong suits of Wolf Parade. ‘Kissing the Beehive’ for one is a classic Spencer Krug song in that it is nearly ELEVEN minutes long. I do not mind this on a Sunset Rubdown album, but for a Wolf Parade song I would much prefer it to end around the four-minute mark or at the very least seven-minute mark where there are unnatural breaks that make for a scattered sound. This rendition is great live but there is no reason for the 4 minute jam session to be released on an album particularly when the later sections converge from the original sound of the song. This overly live emphasis is a problem I only see grow on their next album.
On to Expo 86, Wolf Parade’s latest, released in June of 2010. Expo 86 is not nearly as good of a Wolf Parade album as Queen Mary or even Mt. Zoomer. Expo 86 is further evidence of the deterioration of the distinct Wolf Parade sound, something established on Apologies and later questioned in Mt. Zoomer. When listening to it, one cannot help but hear the elements of all their associated bands – specifically Krug’s Sunset Rubdown and Boeckner’s Handsome Furs.
‘What Did My Lover Say?’ and ‘In the Direction of The Moon’, though good, border too closely on what I believe to be Sunset Rubdown’s sound, particularly the former. It features Krug’s signature emotionless, deadpan delivery to a simple beat, which I find much more characteristic of Sunset Rubdown. Every time that Boeckner chimes in with his back-up line ‘I put my rockets away,’ I cannot help but think how much I would prefer Camilla Wynne Ingr (Sunset Rubdown, formerly of Pony Up!) as a back-up as she serves as a great foil to Krug’s voice and Dan’s excessively live and unpolished vocals do not help. Production and content aside, the awesome synth proves to be a redeeming aspect of the song.
Expo 86 is certainly not a bad album. Some of the problem songs still provide moments of interest and listenability but could be better if further edited (‘In the Direction of the Moon’ particularly). Where some of these songs fall flat is in the edits. Where the sound works on this album is when they both play their strengths. Krug is an incredibly talented lyricist and clearly likes to play with song structure – to much success but sometimes failure, which we see on this album. In Boeckner I find a skilled editor, not necessarily innovative in song structure but talented at consistently creating solid music. Generally I’m ambivalent towards his lyrics but some of my favorite songs on this album feature his lyrics: ‘Pobody’s Nerfect’ and ‘Little Golden Age.’
‘Little Golden Age’ has ear-catching lyrics (something I find Boeckner doesn’t always do but that Krug does well) and also boast a clear, unwaving sound (something Krug sometimes fails to do but Boeckner does well). Other goodies on this album include: ‘Cave-o-Sapien’ and the supremely awesome ‘Ghost Pressure.” What has made previous Wolf Parade albums good is the flawless collaboration. But where this album falls short of that is the gradual shift towards what seems to be a compilation of Krug songs and Broeckner songs.
I miss the tight, foot stomping Wolf Parade and will need time to warm up to the undanceable slow jams that are on this album. It is ironic that the title references the recent discovery that they had all been to Vancouver’s World Fair in 1986 at one point when they were children. While they may have found their figurative beginning, it seems that they have actually lost their way. They are playing with a new sound and dynamic that sometimes works but, unfortunately, ends up sounding disjointed not only from previous albums but within the album. Live, the new sound served as an interesting new take on old hits; but when it came to the Expo 86 songs, they fared no better than recorded – which is to say, inconsistent. Hopefully they will take their time on the next album and give us something that incorporates their innovative sound, lyricism, and editing skills – what one would have expected from a Wolf Parade album.
Recommended Tracks: Little Golden Age (Listen for the guitar riff reminiscent of Television’s ‘Marque Moon’ (1977)), Ghost Pressure, Cave-o-sapien, Pobody’s Nerfect
Rating: 4.2/5.0