How surprising to read the sort of indifferent reviews here. I would have loved them to make "More Apologies to the Queen Mary", too, but "At Mount Zoomer" is a terrific record. True, these aren't songs that are instantly catchy, though Wolf Parade is never going to get more catchy than "The Grey Estates", which almost sounds like early-80's Depeche Mode. I'd say everything other than the dragging "Fine Young Cannibals" are great songs. They really do grow on you, and what I'm most impressed with is the level of musicianship here. Things that seem sloppy at first turn out to be subtle and clever. Boekner's songs have gotten much more carefully structured. "Soldier's Grin" in particular does a lot with a very little; when the opening hook returns at the end, it just kills me it's so cool. And Krug's melodies and rythyms are much more sophisticated here than before. The much more experimental flavor of his Sunset Rubdown solo work seems to have given him some new ideas. Yes, there are moments that sound a little like progressive rock, and "Califonia Dreamers" reminds me a lot like the Doors' "Riders on the Storm." But again, these guys have developed into really strong songwriters, and the songs here are worth digging into.
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