New Music: Wolf Parade, “At Zoomer Mountain”
The album for which I have been waiting months has finally arrived! This morning, I purchased it from the iTunes Music store, pleased to find it priced at only $7.99, mostly because it’s just 9 tracks long (though plenty long enough time-wise). I’ve listened to it through 3-4 times now and am very, very pleased. Overall, it reminds me a bit of Television’s classic album “Marquee Moon.” It also reminds me a bit of Band of Horses latest album.
It does diverge from Wolf Parade’s first album “Apologies to the Queen Mary”, an album I have listened to dozens of times. Each song is much more sonically dense, whereas some of the tracks on “Apologies” felt a bit sparse. Not that I minded that, but this album seems to bring the band together. I’ve read that they did a lot of the writing together, which accounts for each song incorporating each band member in a vital way. Most notable are the contributions from Hadji Bakara on synth keyboard. His lines shine on nearly every track.
The vocals seems to find more melody and harmony. The vocal layering is more complex as well, with singing duties spread more evenly between Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug. I’m not sure how many songs feature both their voices, but it seems like they took a lot of time arranging their voices, mixing multiple layers. That’s not to say that the songs lose their edge; the band is not afraid to spill into near cacophony. The melodies keep you coming back to the songs, while their edges make the album stay fresh.
Overall, I think the album is excellent. If you loved their first, it’s a must buy. If you haven’t heard Wolf Parade before, start with “Apologies”, but buy both albums at once. “At Zoomer Mountain” is an excellent second album from an exciting, still developing band.
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