Give me your eyes, I need sunshine

Play it: Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary

So nice that for my birthday today, there's so many great releases, and the first I'll comment on is the cream (and a surprise that it's in Rhapsody today.)

After a lot of (well-deserved) buildup, Wolf Parade's debut finally sees it's release today. Two bands you're inevitably going to hear a lot in association with Wolf Parade are The Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse. Since they're based in Montreal (but born from Victoria, B.C.,) the Arcade Fire reference is obvious a geographic grouping, but couple the fact that Wolf Parade is opening up for their Montreal compatriots on their current tour and that the Wolf has a former member of Arcade Fire, and bond is even more understandable. But their sound has nothing in relationship, other then being good guitar-based indie-rock. The other association, with Modest Mouse, is born of the fact that Isaac Brock produced this (and their previous EP,) and his ear in the studio must've had some influence on the Wolf's sound because of the quirky dynamic quality of the sound (and Krug's yelps which remind one of Brock.) So while folks are clamouring to call them the "next Arcade Fire" a more apt title (and more desirable, commercially anyway) would be "the next Modest Mouse."

The songs are divided between singers Spencer Krug (one time member of Frog Eyes and Destroyer) and Dan Boeckner, with Krug's songs having more quirky vocals (and lyrics,) while Boeckner's are more straightforward, if you can call anything on this excellent debut straightforward at all. Krug's highlights are the opener "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" (bound to make many think of Modest Mouse,) "Grounds for Divorce" and the great dirge "I'll Believe in Anything," which is kind of like a lost Neutral Milk Hotel classic:

Give me your eyes, I need sunshine/ Your blood, your bones/ Your voice, and your ghost.

Boeckner's highlights include "Shine a Light" and the great closer "This Heart's on Fire" (which they close their great live sets with.)

But maybe, instead, they could be "the next Bowie/Eno," as I hear a heavy Bowie in Berlin influence (siphoned through a Black Francis-centric Pixies concoction, of course.) Just listen to "Dinner Bells" and "Same Ghost Every Night."

It just might be my album of the year, projecting how the songs keep growing and growing on me with every listen... so far it's exponential gratification is on pace to make my ear heart explode.

More:
Wolf Parade And Modest Mouse Defy Nature And Get Together (Chart Attack)
Band of the day (Spin)
Ten to Watch (Rolling Stone)

Previously:
The Arcade Foyer

tags: playlist, music, wolf parade, arcade fire, modest mouse, isaac brock, david bowie, brian eno