When I interviewed
Wolf Parade singer/guitar Dan Boeckner for
Exclaim! a few weeks back, I was a little surprised when he said that the band’s upcoming album,
EXPO 86, had been recorded almost entirely live off the floor. After all, I associate Wolf Parade’s best moments (that is,
Apologies to the Queen Mary) with dense layering and intricate arrangements.
No overdubs clearly doesn’t mean no texture, however. There’s no shortage of interesting sounds and interlocking melodies on the Spencer Kurg-fronted “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way).” It’s classic Wolf Parade, with crunchy guitars, daydream synths and nearly six minutes of tireless dance beats. It also features some of my favorite lyrics of the year: “I got a friend who’s a genius / Nobody listens to him / I got some friends that got famous / La la la la la la la la la la la la.”
EXPO 86 just jumped to the top of my must-hear list for 2010.
MP3: “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)” 
