Seemingly, being in Wolf Parade is a simple process. Pick a riff, pick a strange name (Yulia, Anastasia, etc.), pick a catch phrase, repeat all ad naseum. Predictability is all the rage. While I like aspects of their newest effort, I find that most of the time I am tuned out, waiting for the next song, eager to be able to move to another album. It was quite the same way I felt about the newest Black Keys record. While rock bands struggle to find new ways to execute the same tired material, certain bands have just decided to embrace their inner-70s/80s and make good use of some old tricks.
I’m not totally against Wolf Parade on this. I actually like the path they’ve chosen. I understand their decisions on this album, for the most part. Expo 86 feels like a mixtape of Wolf Parade’s favorite bands– a list of influences combined with their off-kilter lyrics. Then, after all the dot-connecting dust settles, the listener is left with a quandary. Do we like what Wolf Parade likes? Are we that into their panicky vocals, their friskiness, their overly-simple keyboard warbles? Depends on the person. I’d like to explain why I am not happy with the album, but it’s difficult. Difficult because I like what they like, I want to like what they do. The manic energy, the overall aesthetic– Expo 86 is an album I am inclined to love. Yet, for all it’s charm and sing-along rollicking, I don’t love it. Continue reading ‘Wolf Parade: Expo 86′