ABOUT THIS ITEM

Recorded and engineered by drummer Arlen Thompson, this is Wolf Parade's second album for Sub Pop. Their first, "Apologies To The Queen Mary", came out in autumn 2005 and was an instant hit here at Piccadilly. Recorded in Petite Église, the Quebec church owned by Arcade Fire, the idea of the album is to take it has a whole, they deliberately made no singles. This all sounds a bit prog rock, and for someone with an aversion to anything prog, I was a bit perturbed by this, but I needn't of worried! Despite the fact that there are some very proggy synths in there, there are plenty of other influences too, and it's far from being some big lumbering overindulgent opus! Having two songwriters with very distinct and very different styles means that the mood of the album changes from song to song, keeping it fresh sounding and holding your attention throughout. In comparison to "Apologies..", it's a much more ambitious affair, the sound is more expansive and inventive. Stand out tracks includes the Bowie-esque "Call It A Ritual" and "Fine Young Cannibals" with it's "Marquee Moon" style guitars. So yes there is 70s prog, but there are lots of American 'new wave' influences too and it still manages to sound like a modern album. Think of it as the sound of a band edging forward into a wispy darkness, one hand reaching out, the other firmly clutching the past.