Wolf Parade
Apologies To The Queen Mary

THE REVIEW

(Venus in Furs VS prof. L*** PART TWO. The review - unfortunately - dates back to 10/10/2005)

Pitchforkmedia, the tyrant of the indie rock scene, loves them. “Times Magazine” ranked them among “Canada’s Most Anticipated Indie Albums Of The Year.” The New York Times has already called them the band of the year. Excessive? Maybe not. Especially if the band in question is Wolf Parade, the most sparkling delight generated by today's Indie scene.

Formed in 2003, the Montreal (Canada) quartet, thanks to a vehement action by bloggers, first conquered the overseas music scene with the self-produced EP of the same name and is now preparing to conquer this part of the world with their debut album “Apologies To The Queen Mary.” Like their compatriots Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade doesn't offer anything particularly new: Pixies-influenced riffs, dirty guitars and a penchant for obsessive and growing loops (the beautiful "Shine a Light") chaotic melodies between delirium and sublime ("I’ll Believe In Anything"), anomalous ballads inspired by post-Bowie ("It’s a Cure"), a penchant for the theatrical between Frog Eyes and Modest Mouse ("Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts").

But don't mistake Wolf Parade for the simple – albeit successful – symbiosis of the best the current music scene has to offer. The element that distinguishes this band from many others is the vocal duo Boenckner-Spencer. Their tortured laments evoke claustrophobic atmospheres (Dinner Bell, one of the most beautiful ballads in recent times), in a limbo state between euphoria, cacophony, and desperate cynicism. Discovered, launched, and produced by Isaac Brooks (Modest Mouse), Wolf Parade is the sum of the best that has been in the rock scene in recent years: from Velvet Underground to Arcade Fire.