Send "Wolf Parade " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Are Wolf Parade a supergroup? Google seems to think so: It returns some 70,000 results on the matter, including several from this very website. Certainly their lineup is stacked enough for the distinction. Between Spencer Krug, Dan Boeckner, and Dante DeCaro, I count half-a-dozen notable bands past or present, and drummer Arlen Thompson has put in work with Arcade Fire. But supergroups are rarely this prolific, nor this devoid of ego, and Wolf Parade have excelled at reconciling two increasingly distinct songwriting presences to make their music with-- rather than on top of-- each other.This is especially true of Expo 86, the third Wolf Parade record in just under five years. Co-leaders Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug are both coming off of arguably their most successful self-led projects yet. Last year's Dragonslayer served as a culmination of sorts for Krug's Sunset Rubdown, and Boeckner's Handsome Furs made a huge leap from curios to contenders on 2009's Face Control. Both seem to have carried the strengths of their respective sorta-side projects into the booth for Expo 86. While Wolf Parade's self-produced 2008 LP At Mount Zoomer was a notoriously laborious record to make, Expo 86 is said to have come together quickly, with help on the boards from Howard Bilerman. Limber and focused, it sounds like a record made by a band without a bunch of other commitments, and more than the two Wolf Parade records that preceded it, like a unified statement from its two songwriters rather than a couple of strong voices working in parallel. Krug takes Expo's first shot with the chatty "Cloud Shadow on the Mountain", a jumpy, almost paranoiac ramble that that feels closest to the scattershot bluster of his work on At Mount Zoomer. Boeckner's "Palm Road" follows, a fairly standard Springsteenian rattler that gets it done but fails to ignite. Each track is distinctly the work of its author, but it's at this point that the differences between the two songwriters start to blur. "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)" is Krug's, but it rides a rawboned riff that feels far more like the work of Boeckner, with Krug keeping the flights of lyrical and vocal fancy to a minimum. Here, especially in the wake of Zoomer, Krug's songs feel very to the point, as though he's saving the weird stuff for the Rubdown records and just wants the Wolf Parade tunes to pop. Which they do. And while I rather like Krug in the streamlined mode he's in here, one could easily argue he loses something having his edges sanded down like this....full text |
| Stereogum |
| Members of Wolf Parade have done a bit of explaining about the band’s third album EXPO 86. We were told the main criteria Spencer Krug had for the songs was “whether or not [he] would dance to them.” He continued: “You know in Archie comics when there’s a school dance and you see little cartoon music notes floating out of the PA speakers? I like to think this new record sounds like those notes.” For his part, Dan Boeckner said EXPO 86 is a “dense” and noisy album that he feels is “more focused” and has “more energy” than At Mount Zoomer. We’ve been listening to this hour of new music all weekend and agree with both songwriters. Five years after Apologies To The Queen Mary, Wolf Parade have become a solid indie-rock institution. For some reason, though, they’ve yet to crossover like Arcade Fire or even the more idiosyncratic Animal Collective. Maybe because, at times, they feel more like a project than a band, their various side projects seemingly taking precedence. That feeling could shift here … When we evaluated Mount Zoomer, we mentioned its cohesion, but EXPO 86 is tighter and more “band-like” than we’ve ever heard these guys. It’s likely not going to hit you like Apologies To The Queen Mary did all those years ago, but it’s more immediately enjoyable than At Mount Zoomer, and we’re finding more enjoyable details as we return to it. This is largely because of Krug’s contributions … but not for the reasons you might think. Boeckner generally comes out of the gate swinging — it’s the up-tempo Springsteen-esque thing to do. On Expo, Krug matches, and at times surpasses, that energy. If you listen to Mount Zoomer again, Krug’s songs were generally mellower, knottier, and weirder. Which is great, but he can also write anthems. See, for instance, the last section of Zoomer’s “California Dreamer” or “An Animal In Your Care.” We see a more of those here: For starters, the incantatory, dust-kicking opener “Cloud Shadow On The Mountain.” (Followed by Boeckner’s mellower “Palm Road.”) On it, Krug howls and harmonizes about boat shoes, dream catchers, scorpions, and island-jumping gazelles while distorted guitars ring out and Arlen Thompson gives his set a workout. We also get guitar swagger on “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way),” which we heard live before we knew its name and officially when we did. Krug switches things up and slows things down, but even the less straightforward “In The Direction Of The Moon” has a funky dance-step to it that counters its drifting ambient moments. Ditto the fist pumping “Two Men In New Tuxedos.” Or the synth ‘n’ guitar “Oh You, Old Thing,” in which he mentions cutting a rug. (EXPO 86’s new wave undertones are maybe a nod to the year referenced in its title.) And “Cave-O-Sapien” is an addictive, unhinged chant-along closer. It’s fitting this one includes moments of folks shouting together....full text |
| Onethirtybpm |
| Wolf Parade have always been multifaceted, and on each album they tackle a new sound. Expo 86 is loud, muddy, and hypnotic. Whereas Apologies to the Queen Mary was raw and sporadic, At Mt. Zoomer clean and synth filled, Expo 86 doesn’t stray too far from a given path; it’s 55 minutes of blissful fuzz and distortion, and hands down the most rock-oriented Wolf Parade release to date. One of the aspects that makes Wolf Parade one of the most interesting rock groups of the last decade is that the band is fronted by two strong personalties: Dan Boeckner (Guitar/Vocals) and Spencer Krug (Synth/Piano/Vocals). The duo trades off songs, and every album has an interesting display of various musical styles, as each member brings something different to the table. This unique dynamic has always made Wolf Parade’s albums an interesting affair. There is even a rivalry among fans, as to who writes the better songs “Dan” or “Krug.” Dan; heavily guitar driven with a raspy voice; Krug; sporadic piano, synth with yelping vocals, each style quite distinctive from the other. Wolf Parade truly shines when a balance is reached. Expo 86, however, plays off more like a “Dan” album; more in the vein of his side project, Handsome Furs. On the songs that Krug sings on, hints of his style can be heard, but they are buried in the heavy guitar riffs and distortion. Krug’s synths on this album are even muddy and bass-driven. At the same time, it should also be said that Krug does a great job singing with the songs he is given. Unlike past albums though, the songs don’t really have that distinct sound that each singer usually brings and the diversity is certainly missed. One of the strongest elments about this album is the incredible guitar work that Dan brings. This undoubtedly is the heaviest the band has ever sounded in studio. Boeckner really drives every song with his heavy riffing. The excellent “What Did My Lover Say” has Krug and Dan very much in sync, with some guitar scraping that is reminiscent of Modest Mouse lining up effortlessly with Krug’s singing. “Pobody’s Nerfect” is an explosive track that really builds up into a crashing chorus of Dan singing, “And you just don’t know how to stop it at all.” The effect is this wall of sound as it comes to its epic conclusion; a payoff well worth waiting for. “Yulia” which might be the album’s clear stand-out track musically is a stomping anthem that really soars. It’s also the most radio friendly track, and something you can certainly see as being an epic crowd pleaser at their live shows. Again, the track seems as if it could be a leftover from the Handsome Furs project....full text |
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