Wolf Parade
At Mount Zoomer

THE REVIEW

With "At Mount Zoomer", Wolf Parade is back on the scene, one of the most appreciated bands in the Indie scene in recent years.

There was a bit of anticipation for these young Canadians after their widely acclaimed debut in 2005 with "Apologies To The Queen Mary". The album was a success among critics and the public, produced by the talented Isaac Brock, the leader of Modest Mouse.

It consists of nine solid alternative pop-rock songs that (in my opinion) have the merit of not being easily understood after just a few listens (don’t expect to be humming them soon) and compel you to press the "play" button on your stereo again, convinced that the next listen will clarify your ideas better.

The album starts on the right foot with the rhythm changes in "Soldier’s Grin" and with the skewed piano of the short but incisive "Call It a Ritual".

Right from the start, the band makes things clear, proving to be in perfect form and hinting that they didn't want to create a clone of their previous work. It’s no coincidence that they themselves stated that the first songs composed for "At Mount Zoomer" sounded too similar to the previous ones. Hence the decision to scrap them and start from scratch. The result? Unlike "Apologies To The Queen Mary", the approach to songwriting changes, giving more emphasis to the keyboards and resulting in a cleaner and more linear production: this perhaps slightly detracts from the spontaneity and expressive urgency (truly remarkable in their first album) but the tracks follow one another well-crafted and are enjoyable to listen to all around.

Worth remembering are also "Language City" with its compelling finale, the wobbling "Bang Your Dream", and the sunny "The Grey Estates", certainly the most catchy of the bunch. Wolf Parade pulls the ace from their sleeve with the surprising ten-plus minutes of the closing track "Kissing The Beehive" (which was also supposed to be the title of the album): rhythm changes, progressive echoes, and real emotions for what is perhaps the most interesting track of their still sparse discography.

Though clearly influenced by Modest Mouse and to a lesser extent by Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade shows a strong personality and clear distinctive signs that confirm their undisputed talent.