Cry Cry Cry by Wolf Parade

I don’t remember disliking Wolf Parade, but apparently I did. I just reread my post for the band’s third album, Expo 86, which was #17 in 2010. In it, I discuss how much I used to hate Wolf Parade and why.

That, apparently, was a long long time ago. Because now I really like Wolf Parade, and I especially like their fourth album, Cry Cry Cry. Their music is not surprising — each album sounds like an extension of the previous one. But the formula they’ve managed to create for themselves works very well. As I mentioned in my 2010 post:

The band has an interesting dynamic. Two lead singers, who each write separate songs for the band to perform, each with a different aesthetic. Dan Boeckner is the more poppy of the two, writing songs with upbeat hooks that appeal to a greater audience. Spencer Krug, (my favorite and lead singer for another fave band of mine, Sunset Rubdown), is decidedly more eccentric in his song construction.

The video linked above is a dual video for two songs from the album, “King of Piss and Paper” (written by Krug) and “Artificial Life” (written by Boeckner). So you can get a taste of both sides of the band.

Sadly, the website I linked to in the post above, for Spencer Krug’s band Sunset Rubdown, is no longer. But it looks like his other solo project, Moonface, has a website that is still going strong. His second Moonface album Julia With Blue Jeans On was #23 in 2013. He even released a 2-song thing earlier this year, apparently. Excuse me while I go listen to that.

OK, I’m back. That was NOT what I expected it to be¹. Anywho, Wolf Parade is awesome, and this album continues to prove that face. Run out and buy it now.

^{Turns out there’s an electronic artist out there that is also going by the name Moonface, and Apple Music thinks those two Moonface bands are the same entity. Clearly they are not, but I’m not sure where to go to get it corrected. I reached out to Spencer Krug’s US PR guy (as listed on the Moonface website) in a lame attempt to do something.↩}

__________________________________________

15. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
16. Shake the Shudder by !!!
17. La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by La La Land
18. The Underside of Power by Algiers
19. What Now by Sylvan Esso
20. 50 Song Memoir by The Magnetic Fields
21. Plunge by Fever Ray
22. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
23. Capacity by Big Thief
24. The Tourist by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
25. CCFX EP by CCFX
26. Woodstock by Portugal. The Man
27. MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent
28. On the Spot by Hot 8 Brass Band
29. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs
30. Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, & James McAlister
31. A Moment Apart by Odesza

Subscribe to the 2017 Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2016 Top 31s