Mixing the theatrics of Destroyer and the indie rock bombast of Arcade Fire, this Wolf Parade “side-project” I think surpasses the original in certain instances. There are even shades of Neutral Milk Hotel in its odd brilliance. Granted, I love my music dramatic, and this thing has it in spades. There are sea shanties and whatnot, as all indie bands have to have these days, as well as some songs that actually have those Springsteen-like chimes. This, my friends, is what rock and roll is all about; taking chances and experimenting with time signatures, noises, drum machines, keyboards, soaring vocals, everything. This is one of my more favorite albums of the past few years.
