I have to lose my idols to find my voice

Well, the Voxtrot album ended up being the opposite of their previous releases; it was singularly their own sound, rather than a grab bag of twee British pop. I'm not sure about this album, the songwriting seems to have slipped, or maybe I am reacting to the new direction the band has taken? Anyway, it has some nice production/engineering, a sort of grainy black and white atmosphere much like the cover of their Mothers, Sisters, Daughters And Wives EP. The instruments are soft-edged and there is a an almost novel-like quality to the album that the soft edges helps tell in large and dramatic style. Band leader Ramesh Srivastava's voice also falters a touch here, the wide-screen atmosphere of the album overpowers and undermines Srivastava's shallow Morrisey impression (shallow in a denoting sense, not a "he's shallow" sense).

Anyway, I'm surprised I've managed to write and remember so much about this album considering the last time I listened to it was about 3 or 4 months a go. I think I'll pull out for another listen, in a minute.

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np: Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up

We were born to live here, We were born to die here

Yesterday I gave the Voxtrot EP's some spins after a few months away from them, and damn if they aren't still brilliant Indie Pop. I find it interesting that some of the sounds that can be heard in their music, like The Smiths, The Housemartins and Belle And Sebastian can be elements that might not particularly interest you singularly yet when combined, and dusted lightly with time passed, can be so enticing and invigorating. But I suppose I'm cutting out the individuality of Voxtrot themselves when I say this. In any case, the greater move away from these immediate influences as shown on Mothers, Sisters, Daughters And Wives, and continued by Your Biggest Fan, leaves one with an excited and nervous wait when their debut s/t album is finally released this year.

official site

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Lead singer's blog

It's the easiest way

Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary

Wolf Parade’s music can most simply be described as psychedelic tinged 00’s indie rock/pop. The foundation of Apologies To The Queen Mary is made up of the songwriting duo Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner, who trade off both lyrical and singing duties over the course of the album. A mixture of fuzzy lo-fi guitars and similarly fuzzy lo-fi keyboards/synths dominate the sound of the album, a marriage of psychedelic acid, post punk tautness and indie rock catharsis.
Although having a connection with the Arcade Fire through a sometime group member of both, Wolf Parade should not be lumped in as a mere copycat of their compatriots. There is an anthemic resolution in songs such as, Shine A Light, I’ll Believe In Anything, Hearts On Fire, that may echo the Arcade Fire but Wolf Parade use a different sonic palette compared to the Arcade Fire’s orchestral leanings.
Krug deals in a number of left-of-centre lyrical moments, “But the darling is dead/We hit her on the head/It looked like a wedding cake” (Grounds For Divorce) and “I got/Water and holes in my hands/I’m a digger of the land/It’s the easiest way” (Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts). The seemingly non-sequiter progression of such lyrics vie with the fervent way they are delivered, which is accentuated by the duality of psychedelic raggedness and soaring melody from both the guitar and keyboard. Krug’s abstract words paint pictures of… well, your guess is as good as mine. But he certainly impresses upon the listener a mood, such as in Fancy Claps, where ideas of death are matched with a (typically) warped intimacy, “When I die/I'm leaving you my feet/When you die, you can stand up for me/We can lie in a homemade canoe/You can put me in your hair/I'll be happy there”, leaving a strange melancholy. Krug is able to display the idea that heart-on-sleeve confessional lyrics aren’t the only way of coming across as emotional and sincere.
The themes Boeckner tends to explore appeal to a more conventional indie rock aesthetic such as a subversive look at modern society. Modern World is, as the title would suggest, concerned with the modern world and Boeckner’s discontent, “I'm not in love with the modern world/I'm not in love with the modern world… Modern world I'm not pleased to meet you/You just bring me down”, and clear dissatisfaction, bordering on anger, at the perceived shallowness and cheapness prevalent in the modern society. The song is pulled along by resigned acoustic guitar and hollered backing vocals. Hard-earned experience backs Shine A Light, “Spend boring hours in the office tower/In a bus on a bus back home to you and…”, with a dose of wryness, “That's fine I'm barely alive”, stopping the anger brimming over too much. Yet springy guitars, infectious synth, backing “Oooohs” and propulsive drumming create an anti-hero of a song, if you are “Waiting for something that never arrives”, Boeckner’s been there too and understands.
Wolf Parade’s strength here is in having two accomplished songwriters that seem to be able to pull in the same direction, an overall thematic core is retained which is matched by the tight and compelling compositions.

The somewhat hyperbolic statements of pitchfork and cokemachineglow sit uneasily with me. There isn't a sense of "future classic" surrounding this album for me, just a fine debut showing by a band that has talent and potential.

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