The third album by Canadian indie-rockers Wolf Parade, Expo 86, follows the band’s 08 At Mount Zoomer, ’05 debut Apologies to the Queen Mary (one of my favorites that year), and numerous of side project releases by: Sunset Rubdown, Handsome Furs, Frog Eyes, and Swan Lake, amongst others. Expo 86 (the World’s Fair held in Vancouver, B.C. which had the world’s largest Swatch Watch – in yellow, no less) finds Wolf Parade rediscovering the manic energy of their debut, full of driving drums, Spencer Krug’s quivering vocals, the angular guitars of Dan Boeckner, catchy 80’s inspired synths and grinding bass lines. Two standouts tracks include “Ghost Pressure”, with its in-your-face electronic elements and hook-laden chorus, and closer “Cave-O-Sapien”, a driving indie rock number. While their bombastic energy and prolific tendencies lead them in a variety of directions at full speed, Expo 86 makes the case that Wolf Parade should consider staying in one place for awhile because it yields interesting sonic rewards. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Broken Social Scene, Frog Eyes, Handsome Furs, The New Pornographers, Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake