Apologies to the Queen Mary
March 9, 2007
"Apologies to the Queen Mary," by Wolf Parade
2005
A strange, delicate album of distorted songs and bold imagery that deserved the many accolades it received, this is one of the high points in the current wave of Canadian indie rock bands. Opening with the strange, "You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son" opens the album on a note that almost seems calculated to drive away people not willing to take the music seriously. The ghostly, echo-laden guitars at the song's feedback-soaked closing segue nicely into the sparser sound of the acoustic guitar-driven "Modern World." From there the album moves from anthemic (if incomprehensible) chants to somber mood pieces. "Shine a Light" is practically symphonic in its construction while "Dinner Bells" has the haunted quality of some of Brian Eno's creepier work. The album hits a plateau about halfway through that it barely comes down from, closing with the urgent "This Heart's on Fire." A powerful, surprisingly catchy debut from a band that has as many hooks as it does ideas.
[ Back to Review-o-Matic menu ]
This page is part of www.zombieunderground.net. If you're not seeing a menu on the left, please click here to reload.
Everything on this site is the © author (please see the "About" section).