Could the Montreal music scene be blowing up any larger than it already is? The fuse was initially lit by Broken Social Scene, a band considered by some circles as existing in the upper echelon of Indie rock. The Montreal bomb then exploded with this year's trendy pick as 'newcomers-of-the-year,' The Arcade Fire. And as the mushroom cloud of ass-kicking music slowly wafted over North America, the band Wolf Parade emerged from the dust and rubble only to solidify Montreal as some sort of super-human-rock-producing-machine.
Is it too early to make the analogy that Montreal is to Indie what Seattle is to grunge? Maybe a little too early because neither Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire nor Wolf Parade have yet to define a generation like Nirvana did. But, it's still early — just give it time and in five years, we'll talk.
Wolf Parade's debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary is the album you have been pining to listen to, you just don't know it yet. The band's infectious style of music is undeniable: with guitar riffs that are intoxicating, catchy hooks and two lead singers, Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug, who have some of the most interesting sounding voices in music. While all these characteristics make a band good on paper, what makes Wolf Parade special is their ability to write thought-provoking lyrics. Like The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade has the foundations of an emo-band without all the whiney, black-framed glasses and unnecessary tie-wearing stigmas. Their lyrics are written with the intent of having a profound effect on the listener. Although the words are sometimes hard to understand (because of Boeckner and Krug's eclectic voices), upon subsequent listenings, you can almost picture yourself at the late night coffee-fueled writing and recording sessions, chiming in with your own personal ideas on how to get the lyrics just right.
The album begins with one of the strongest tracks, "You are a Runner and I am My Father's Son." Drum and base heavy, "You are a Runner and I am My Father's Son" immediately induces foot-tapping and head-nodding. As the song approaches the bridge, a distorted and almost haunting guitar slowly washes over the beat, creating an eerie ending to a somewhat pop-driven song.
The album continues its high-caliber production and writing with the songs, "Modern World" and "Grounds for Divorce." Although "Grounds for Divorce" might be the most upbeat and jovial sounding song on the album, its lyrics are the most introspective. With lyrics like, "You said you hate the sound / Of the busses on the ground. / You said you hate the way they scrape their bricks all over town. /Said pretend it's whales. / Keeping their voices down. /Such were the grounds for divorce I know," you can feel the discord and strife caused by divorce. Is Wolf Parade making an illusion to the trivial reasons which cause a divorce like the sound of busses on the ground, or is the sound of "busses on the ground," a metaphor for larger more substantial marital problems? Like a good book, the answer is not apparent and instead is left up to the discretion on the listener to make the call.
It is really hard to criticize Apologies to the Queen Mary, because there is not a bad song on the album — the whole thing is solid all the way through. But on the same note, there is not a song that is hands down the best of the album. Every song is great, but no song is life changing.
Wolf Parade might also be criticized for sounding like an alternate version of another Indie rock classic, Modest Mouse. This comparison is not ungrounded because Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock helped record and produce much of the album. True, some songs sound like they could be straight from Good News For People Who Like Bad News, but instead of this being a negative thing, it should be viewed as a positive. Apologies to the Queen Mary, is not an alter-version of Good News, but rather, a perfected version of it. It rocks harder, is just as catchy and in the end, is much more meaningful and memorable.
Wolf Parade may never be a household name or make it on MTV (although they are sure to score a spot on "The O.C."), but neither of those things should count one iota of the band's worth. The more you listen to Apologies to the Queen Mary, the more it grows on you, like some sort of flesh-eating bacteria gnawing away at your musical sensibility. It will dominate your iPod and your life because, lets be honest, it IS that good.
Grade: A
