This highly anticipated third album from Wolf Parade is full of the new wave sound that fans of the band have come to love in their previous albums, with all of the musical talent that we’ve come to expect from the band. Opening with the catchy Cloud Shadow On The Mountain, “Expo 86” launches into an album that is nothing short of a riveting musical experience.
Many of the album’s songs are full of more structured hooks than can be found in the earlier albums from Wolf Parade, such as the catchy What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way) and in the sweeping anthem of Little Golden Age. But the songs aren’t all so well focused and cohesive in terms of style.
Not to say that that’s a bad thing – far from it. It’s a bit puzzling to be sure, but what links the songs together is the band’s accomplished musicianship. They’ve managed to craft an album that moves through seemingly incongruous songs in such a way that each song seems like an evolution from the previous track. Case in point? The quirky, snyth-laced In The Direction Of The Moon is a slow, slinky dance tune that is a deliciously funky take on the anthemic stylings of Little Golden Age.
Ghost Pressure keeps the funk going while bringing back the upbeat hooks and the album continues to develop through songs with more a more punk-rock feel that showcase all sides of Wolf Parade, most especially in the standout track Pobody’s Nerfect, with its pulsing drums and bare-bones moments of urgency woven into energetic and somehow velvety rock styles.
The album seems like Wolf Parade started off with one idea and shook things up, all the while staying mostly true to the roots of the idea, for an album that develops in an almost organic manner yet still offers countless surprises. The only thing that keeps the album from being entirely cohesive is that it seems like they tried to incorporate too many of the ideas that no doubt stemmed from their musical prowess, even within individual songs. So much is going on that at times it’s hard to discern what exactly you’re listening to, and sometimes the best ideas get lost in the dense musical jungle.
Though it’s certainly not on par with their debut “Apologies To The Queen Mary” it’s still an enjoyable album that promises to throw a few unexpected surprises and treats your way many times over. Sit back and have a listen to the whole thing, because while many of the songs are great in their own right, the magic comes when you experience the whole thing at once.
Rating: 4/5
http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade
Reviewed by Christina Alifrangis
Expo 86 is available at Road Records http://www.roadrecs.com
