Apologies Work to Overcome Shortcomings

The first time I listened to Wolf Parade’s “Apologies to Queen Mary” was during a solo three-hour drive east and west through Long Island, New York. Aside from intermittent distractions caused by the usual assortment of aggressive butthole drivers doing their best to get from Point A to Point Z without any recourse to NYS vehicular law or civility my concentration was focused on the CD. To further that experience I opted to toss everything but the CD (liner notes, cardboard CD case, etc.) into my glove compartment. As such, while listening I had no clues specific to the band members: what they played or who sang what. I mention this because after reviewing the song-by-song audio review that I dictated while driving I discovered an intriguing fact: the only negative comments I made were linked to tracks 1,3,5,8,9 & 11, all of which featured Spencer Krug on lead vocals. I raise this point because I think that the success of WP, in the future, and this CD, in the present, will ride on listeners liking or disliking Krug’s squawky voice.

It’s a crucial point because Krug sings lead on half the tracks on this CD. Unfortunately, to my ears he suffers the unfortunate predicament of evoking Ivan Doroschuk from the dreadful 80s synth pop collective Men Without Hats (remember their hit "The Safety Dance"?). Krug’s voice has a similar whining, trippy, gypsy quality that puts me off almost immediately. For example, Track 8, “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts,” contains a string of “la la la la la’s” and other inane fillers that has yet to succeed in leading me not to press the SKIP button on my CD player. Ditto for Track 9, "I'll Believe Anything," where Krug’s bellyaching yodels have inhibited every attempt I have made to get to the end of the song without exercising the SKIP option.

With Krug at the helm WP also brings to mind Modest Mouse, which is not so surprising because their producer, Isaac Brock, produced this CD. Honestly, Brock should have discouraged WP's mimicry of MM because it is off-putting at times, beginning, right off the bat with Track 1, “You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son.”

Fortunately, WP has other players beside Krug in its arsenal, and on the other half of "Apologies..." the far more capable Don Boeckner handles lead vocals. His vocals don’t remind me of anyone but Don Boeckner. He sings with an edgy self-assurance, a kind of been-there-done-that, weary-to-the-core quality that augments rather than detracts from each tune. His best moments are on tracks 6, 7, 10, & 12. The former, “Same Ghost Every Night” is a moody, guitar-rich, electronica-enhanced number that tramps solemnly forward into the deep dark night. The latter three are straightforward rockers and in each Boeckner’s vocal efforts integrate perfectly with the lyrics and moods of those songs.

Augmenting Boeckner and Krug are WP’s remaining members, Hadji Bakara (keyboards & electronica), and Arlen Thompson (drums). To their credit, they ALMOST make me forget about Krug’s distracting vocals. Believe it, these fellas bring the goods on every track. Bakara’s melodies are as infectious as undetected H5N1 at a Chinese chicken ranch. As for Thompson, in most instances, Track 7, “Shine a Light,” for example, his backbeats propel the band forward, chased by Bakara’s melodies and Boeckner’s vocals and guitar.

Bakara’s efforts evoke those of Tony Banks, the keyboard player for Genesis, who also had a knack for integrating his keyboard lines sublimely into tunes. That knack is most evident on Tracks 3 ("Grounds for Divorce") and 4 ("We Built Another World"). While Bakara usually opts to lay back Thompson decides otherwise, almost commanding center stage from behind his kit. And that’s a good thing because his playing is notable, especially on the rocking numbers where the rest of the boys seem to follow his lead and feed off his energy.

The highlights on “Apologies...” are Tracks 2,4,7,10, & 12. Not surprisingly, as noted above, Boeckner handles the lead vocals on each of these tracks. WP sounds more confident on these tracks, and the tunes go from beginning to end without derailing because of Krug’s autonomous singing.

Ultimately we, the listeners, will decide for ourselves on the Krug vs. Boeckner point. (To be fair, Krug nearly redeems himself on Track 11, “Dinner Bells,” a slow, moody number with a tempo more suited to his capabilities.) If more listeners like him, well, that will only make "Apologies..." more successful. However, if more listeners prefer Boeckner that could lead WP to hand the lead vocal chores to Boeckner, thereby engaging the “less is more” theory and possibly taking WP to another, even more successful level.

For my tastes, less of Krug, more of Boeckner and WP will be around for as long as they want to be.

In the liner notes WP thank “Win & Regine & Arcade Fire,” and there is a bit of similarity between WP and AF, at least in the choral arrangements on Tracks 2 & 7 evoking AF. However, though Wolf Parade sounds like Men Without Hats and Modest Mouse when Krug sings, and the band as a whole evokes Wilco on the last track, to their benefit they do establish their own distinct sound. It's there, you just have to ignore the obvious presence of their friends.


WOLF PARADE IS:

Hadji Bakara: keyboards, electronics
Don Boeckner: guitar, vocals (2,4,6,7,10,12)
Spencer Krug: piano, vocals (1,3,5,8,9,11)
Arlen Thompson: drums

Tim Kingsbury: Guitars on Tracks 4 & 5 and bass on Track 7