Wolf Parade - Wolf Parade EP

Genre rock Publisher Sub Pop External Links Sub Pop

In early 2004, two Montreal-based indie bands were starting to attract a lot of attention from the growing multitude of music bloggers on the net. One was a ragtag group calling themselves Arcade Fire, they became, literally, an overnight sensation last September. Their friends Wolf Parade continued to generate slow, but steady word of mouth in the underground scene, to the point where today, more than a year later, their debut full-length album has become one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Whether or not Wolf Parade are riding on Arcade Fire's coattails is negligible, as it doesn't take long to notice that there are few, if any, similarities between the two bands, and Wolf Parade are dead set on making it on their own merit.

If the band's debut EP for Sub Pop Records is a teaser for their upcoming album, it sure does one hell of a good job whetting our collective appetites. Including two album tracks and clocking in at a measly 13 minutes, it hardly seems worth buying, considering the new CD is imminent, but for what it is, it's a good little disc. Opening track "Shine a Light" is the clear winner, an undeniably catchy, marching rocker driven by a simple synth line and the forceful bass playing of Arcade Fire member Tim Kingsbury. Stripped down, yet anthemic, the song is one of the year's best indie rock tracks, highlighting guitarist Dan Boeckner's Bowie-like voice. Keyboardist Spencer Krug takes the vocal helm on "You Are a Runner, I am My Father's Son," a markedly different departure from the previous track, as the band seem to flaunt their Victoria, British Columbia roots, mimicking the melodrama and odd syncopation of Victoria's Frog Eyes (produced by Isaac Brock, the inevitable Modest Mouse comparisons will arise, as well).

The two non-album tracks are equally impressive. "Disco Sheets" is driven by a propulsive beat, Boeckner cranking the Bowie/Peter Murphy affectations as far as they can go, as the band manages to keep the arrangement original enough to escape the "post punk revival" tag, thanks primarily to Krug's textured use of synths. "Lousy Pictures," on the other hand, is dominated by a resonant synth melody which drowns out the rest of the band, the forceful performance giving listeners a hint of just how good this band must be live. The fact that these two fine tracks didn't make the album definitely bodes well.

While this EP is not essential, unless you're already a huge Wolf Parade fan, it offers a very tantalizing glimpse of a band who just might be a lock to fully live up to the "next big thing" hype they've been the subject of. With American indie rock stagnating as of late, it's nice to know yet another Canadian band are set to come down and deliver a breath of fresh air.