One thing noticeably absent on this album in which Apologies... forcefully employed is backing vocals and vocal harmonies. I've only given the album a few cursory listens, but I don't remember one song having any Krugian yelps or Boeckner woos in the background. Disappointing.
You have a point there Vypa. A good point. I'd attributed the airiness of the record to a purposeful streamlining, but they could have combined vocals without sacrificing the frictionless rush that the album does possess. That might be the only thing preventing a high 9 score.
Originally posted by anbc: [QUOTE]Originally posted by L. R. William Spencer: "Bang Your Drum" is the weakest song on the album, if I had to pick, followed by "California Dreamer" both of which were written by Krug.
I take it you're not a Sunset Rubdown fan?
Really?! I absolutely love "Bang Your Drum"! actually i's my favourite song on the album at the moment...
I don't know if you're still waiting for someone to notice your name reference. Anyway, cheers.
That even lends itself somewhat to a description of my feelings about the album. I think Wolf Parade in many ways should be more loyal to the zoo. Running off into the Sunset(pun!) produces the kind of grating eccentricity that Rubdown often produces. I'm saying that if the band shifted all the way over to Boeckner's end of the spectrum, I would be perfectly happy.
It might be because I generally prefer a somewhat rougher and more direct approach, but some truly fantastic songs on Apologies (I'll Believe, etc.) and some other great songs out on his own (Stadiums and Shrines, The Empty Threats of Little Lord) notwithstanding, I consider Mr. Krug to be something of a nasal interloper in the tradition of Dan Bejar.
It might sound harsh, but viewed in the context of their bigger bands, the contributions of both Krug and Bejar are conspicuously pretentious. Whatever else they might be, nasal or overwrought or pretty great(less common with Bejar) or whatever, pretentious is a very fair word to pin on them. Willfully bizarre, wordy, idiosyncratic, thematically high-minded. Pretentious.
If I had my way, Boeckner would be allowed to do his own poetic rock 'n' roll thing, with Krug there mostly to help him on his way (which I'm sure he could do rather well). Plague Park was tantalizingly close to a realization of this kind of thing. Hopefully the next Handsome Furs or WP album will be closer.
I don't know if you're still waiting for someone to notice your name reference, CFG. Anyway someone has, cheers.
That in fact lends itself somewhat to a description of my feelings about the album: I really think Wolf Parade, in many ways, should be more loyal to the zoo. Running off into the Sunset(pun!) results in the kind of polka-music-for-centaurs that Rubdown often produces. I'm saying that if the band shifted all the way over to Boeckner's end of the spectrum, I would be pleased beyond pleasure.
It might be because I generally prefer a somewhat rougher and more direct approach, but some truly fantastic songs on Apologies (I'll Believe, etc.) and some other great songs out on his own (Stadiums and Shrines, The Empty Threats of Little Lord) notwithstanding, I consider Mr. Krug to be something of a nasal interloper, in the tradition of Dan Bejar.
Viewed in the context of their bigger bands, the contributions of both Krug and Bejar are conspicuously pretentious. Whatever else they might be, nasal or overwrought or pretty great(less commonly true of Bejar's) or whatever, pretentious is a very fair word to pin on them. Willfully bizarre, obscurely worded, deliberately eccentric, thematically confounding. Pretentious.
The way I think about it is like this: Dan is the Wolf, and Spencer is the Parade. If I had my way, Boeckner would be allowed to do his own poetic rock 'n' roll thing full-time, with Krug there mostly to help him on his way (with a few uniquely Krug moments, I do recognize his talent). Plague Park came tantalizingly close to a realization of this daydream. Hopefully the next Handsome Furs or WP album will be even closer.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: BlackGravel,
Originally posted by BlackGravel: Viewed in the context of their bigger bands, the contributions of both Krug and Bejar are conspicuously pretentious. Whatever else they might be, nasal or overwrought or pretty great(less commonly true of Bejar's) or whatever, pretentious is a very fair word to pin on them. Willfully bizarre, obscurely worded, deliberately eccentric, thematically confounding. Pretentious.
Okay, maybe I would agree with Bejar being called pretentious, but I think the major misunderstanding of Spencer's music is that people don't understand that he isn't taking things seriously at all. He's might being doing it all with a straight face, but It's all smoke and mirrors and fake out dramatics. His music is the equivalent of air guitar in musical form. Just listen to the guitar in "Mending of the gown". It sets the wank out tone of the album in the first five seconds, but is done completely tounge in cheek. If anything it loses itself in bad humor maybe, but you will miss the point if you interpret Spencer as being too serious about things.
---------------------------- It's okay, I'm a saint, I forgave your mistakes.
In my view, the balance they strike (or that any two songwriters strike on a joint venture) practically requires that Krug be allowed to contribute. The ideal of a Wolf Parade album with nothing but Boekner tunes on it would be like a Beatles album with only McCartney tunes, and also wouldn't be Wolf Parade. And I happen to be in the camp (is it a camp yet?) that favors Dan's contributions (by a shrinking margin). Egos like these can't be put in the corner. It just doesn't happen.
I'm a big Krug fan (I think I own nearly everything he's ever put out), but I have to agree that the tracks that Boeckner leads are just better.
"Soldier's Grin" hits its stride right in the middle when they hit the breaks on the tempo and Dan confidently boasts something similar to, "...and I rode horse-shaped fire dragon stereo wire...".
"Language City" goes where no Wolf Parade song has gone before when Boeckner bursts into his "We are not at home. We are not at home..." chant in the last 45 seconds of the song.
"The Grey Estates" sounds like it would be right at home on Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. That's a compliment, btw.
The only real noticable weak spot on the album for me is the beginning and end of Animal In Your Care leading into the beginning of Kissing The Beehive. It's the only part of the album that I wouldn't happily recommend to just about any adventurous music listener. That said, the jammier middle portion of Animal In Your Care is sublime, so the rough patches are perfectly distributed. Overall, the balance, elegence, and distended grace of this album is frankly blowing me right away.
Originally posted by Vypa: I don't remember one song having any Krugian yelps
Good thing. I agree with most that Boeckner has the better contributions to this record. Which surprises me as I've always thought Krug was the far better songwriter. I'm a bit disappointed with the Krug songs here to be honest...nothing close to the few best moments from Random Spirit Lover. Maybe he's being a bit too prolific, hmmm?
Be that as it may, the album has a cohesion, almost a brand of cohesion, that would be special for a band with only one songwriter. I just love it when an album seems to be all of a piece. It's probably one of my most fundamental criterion, and this album is as tight a package as I've seen in a while despite an ostensible decrease in joint songwriting. I'm gushing, I know. Forgive me.
I love this album and still believe the Boeckner songs are stronger as a whole, but the more I listen to this, the more I think "Kissing the Beehive" is better than anything else on the album. Particularly the middle section where Krug is singing "Jonathan, Jonathan" and "Fire in the Hole!" That whole section from about the 3:57 mark to the false ending at 7:24 is fucking genius.
Posts: 1325 | Location: Atlanta, GA | Registered: 24 December 2004
Yeah, it's like a "Sound the alarms!" kind of emotional scramble-for-cover moment. I love it too. I also love the chorus of "Bang Your Drum", but damn it for only occurring once in the song. As mentioned before, the end of the opening track is also awesome as hell in that "he's talking about me" we're all quietly f'ed and packed to the gills with emotional biohazard, kinda way.
There was a song I've heard live streams of called "String Me Along". I thought it was the best song they've ever done, but it's that title is no on the album! It's a Krug led track....did they change the name? It's too good to be left off! And also, the rules were silly so I pissed on them.
