Despite how much I loved Wolf Parade’s 2005 debut LP Apologies To The Queen Mary, their hugely anticipated sophomore effort, 2008’s At Mount Zoomer, remained untouched and unzipped on my desktop for two months before I listened to it. Maybe it was because I was afraid that it would be the ultimate sophomore slump, but really I think I just wanted to give it the in depth listen it deserved. So I finally listened to it about a week ago and I must say, I’m very impressed.
While it’s certainly not as good as Apologies To The Queen Mary, the album has its own distinctive flavor. For the most part, the wild, bouncy keyboard/vocal interplay that Spencer Krug is known for (present on songs like “Grounds For Divorce” or “Fancy Claps” from Apologies To The Queen Mary) are absent. The album is much more subdued. Guitarist Dan Boeckner’s vocals really shine on At Mount Zoomer, often upstaging Krug, who I felt presented the stronger vocal delivery on their debut. The album overall is darker; more songs sound like “Same Ghost Every Night” or “Modern World.” But that doesn’t mean Krug and the rest of the band doesn’t go wild at points, like on the very Sunset Rubdown-esque “Bang Your Drum” or floating keyboard-driven “The Grey Estates.” But songs like “Fine Young Cannibals,” “Call It Ritual” and “California Dreamer,” are turbulent tunes of pounding rhythms, loud guitar and the despondent vocal delivery of Krug/Boeckner. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention how stunningly awesome the 11 minute closer “Kissing The Beehive” is, as each member of the band take turns showing off their musical prowess. At Mount Zoomer is also recorded much crisper than Apologies To The Queen Mary, giving it a sound that I think both accentuates the band’s musical abilities but also removes much of the raw, youthful sound of their first LP.
Yet ultimately, the album relies much more on generic, standard indie pop progressions. Now I’m not saying Apologies To The Queen Mary was anything groundbreaking musically, but I felt it had enough originality to earn it the high rating it holds in my book. The songs were extremely well written. And while At Mount Zoomer has dozens of great head bouncing, sing along moments, the songs simply rely on a lot of the oldest tricks in the indie pop books. But before I start over analyzing the album and finding faults that aren’t there, I’m going to end by saying that At Mount Zoomer is an excellent follow up to a nearly impossible to top debut. Sure, it’s a little cliche at points, but there’s not really a weak track on the album and it proves that Wolf Parade are still on top of their game and are still the best Spencer Krug band. Pick up the album if you’re a fan of stuff like Sunset Rubdown, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Of Montreal, etc. and check out a few mp3s from the album.
Score: 8.4 out of 10
P.S. How much does that album cover kick ass?
From At Mount Zoomer:
Wolf Parade – Fine Young Cannibals
Wolf Parade – Language City
Wolf Parade – Soldier’s Grin
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