Handsome Furs - Plague Park
Wolf Parade leadman Dan Boeckner and his fiancée's side project, Handsome Furs, reflects a very different side to the Victoria-formed indie rockers. I won't say it's Wolf Parade trying to be Joy Division. I won't even say it's Mr. Boeckner trying to be Radiohead. I'll make no comment at all on it being Apologies To The Queen Mary, as written by Efrim Manuck. They're all 100% true in every way, but let's give poor Dan the benefit of the doubt, huh?
As the last comparisons might have brought to mind to you, the Boeckner you hear here is a much darker and sombre one than we know from the noisy, fun, Modest Mouse-esque Wolf Parade. This seems to be in many ways the first major project he's done without Isaac Brock's ever-watching eye over it, and so it represents a major departure from his old sound. And so, there's not a note in major key to be found. And it is lush- filling the record with deep, sinister electronica and wicked bass notes has given Handsome Furs a whole new lease of life.
The population of instruments has also changed. Where Wolf Parade was far more simple- gimme slick guitar riffs, drums and electronic melodies and we're set- here Handsome Furs has introduced a far more complex sound, entering the orchestral world of their countrymen Arcade Fire and The Dears. The baroque-folk sound- bringing in strings, harps and bells to the fray- fills the album with a much more serious feel and gives the impression of a far more passionately intimate album. But these instruments do not take away from the vocals- and let me make this clear: it is most definately the album of a vocalist, and you can tell. The singing leads the songs even more than you hear in normal rock.
Although it contains only 9 tracks, and tips off at only 36 minutes- a length that seems to be dwindling and disappearing almost entirely in this world of 10 minute long solos and extravagant songs- this most certainly does not feel like a short album. The complexity and dense, lavish sound give this album every part the esteem of any other album you could be given.
The emotion of this album is far more furious and angry than our last visit to Dan Boeckner, with lines like "And if there's a God, he's a little god...But he hates his babies most of all" and song titles like "Dead + Rural". Clearly, what you can expect is a slightly less care-free album that before. This is indie rock for a dystopian future. But it is passionate and almost happily rageful.
Handsome Furs are a much more sombre but a much more colossal face of Canadian indie rock. As such, they're not easy to compare quickly to their sister project, Wolf Parade, in so many words. But for my money the result of Plague Park is a far more complete album and would not leave any Wolf Parade fan disappointed. If Krug and Boeckner's next album is anything like this, then I would consider it an improvement.
Preview - Can't Get Started
Preview - Dumb Animals
Handsome Furs - Plague Park (Megaupload)
Wolf Parade leadman Dan Boeckner and his fiancée's side project, Handsome Furs, reflects a very different side to the Victoria-formed indie rockers. I won't say it's Wolf Parade trying to be Joy Division. I won't even say it's Mr. Boeckner trying to be Radiohead. I'll make no comment at all on it being Apologies To The Queen Mary, as written by Efrim Manuck. They're all 100% true in every way, but let's give poor Dan the benefit of the doubt, huh?As the last comparisons might have brought to mind to you, the Boeckner you hear here is a much darker and sombre one than we know from the noisy, fun, Modest Mouse-esque Wolf Parade. This seems to be in many ways the first major project he's done without Isaac Brock's ever-watching eye over it, and so it represents a major departure from his old sound. And so, there's not a note in major key to be found. And it is lush- filling the record with deep, sinister electronica and wicked bass notes has given Handsome Furs a whole new lease of life.
The population of instruments has also changed. Where Wolf Parade was far more simple- gimme slick guitar riffs, drums and electronic melodies and we're set- here Handsome Furs has introduced a far more complex sound, entering the orchestral world of their countrymen Arcade Fire and The Dears. The baroque-folk sound- bringing in strings, harps and bells to the fray- fills the album with a much more serious feel and gives the impression of a far more passionately intimate album. But these instruments do not take away from the vocals- and let me make this clear: it is most definately the album of a vocalist, and you can tell. The singing leads the songs even more than you hear in normal rock.
Although it contains only 9 tracks, and tips off at only 36 minutes- a length that seems to be dwindling and disappearing almost entirely in this world of 10 minute long solos and extravagant songs- this most certainly does not feel like a short album. The complexity and dense, lavish sound give this album every part the esteem of any other album you could be given.
The emotion of this album is far more furious and angry than our last visit to Dan Boeckner, with lines like "And if there's a God, he's a little god...But he hates his babies most of all" and song titles like "Dead + Rural". Clearly, what you can expect is a slightly less care-free album that before. This is indie rock for a dystopian future. But it is passionate and almost happily rageful.
Handsome Furs are a much more sombre but a much more colossal face of Canadian indie rock. As such, they're not easy to compare quickly to their sister project, Wolf Parade, in so many words. But for my money the result of Plague Park is a far more complete album and would not leave any Wolf Parade fan disappointed. If Krug and Boeckner's next album is anything like this, then I would consider it an improvement.
Preview - Can't Get Started
Preview - Dumb Animals
Handsome Furs - Plague Park (Megaupload)
-Mike (=
1 comment:
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog
that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I've been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Feel free to visit my homepage ... produktionsfaktor kapital
Post a Comment