ALBUM REVIEW: Wolf Parade – Thin Mind
BEST TRACKS: Wandering Son, The Static Age, Against the Day
FCC Violations: Julia Take Your Man Home
Thin Minds, released earlier this month, is Wolf Parade’s sixth album. You might have heard of Wolf Parade in the context of their genre-shattering 2005 album Apologies to the Queen Mary, which paved the way for many more odd, jittery indie rock bands to come such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and King Crimson. After taking slightly different paths with their later albums over the years, Wolf Parade again embraces their roots with Thin Mind, an album that evokes the same feelings and energy as their debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary. Original fans of Wolf Parade will be relieved to know that the band has returned to their early style. Wolf Parade took the sound of Apologies to the Queen Mary and refined and finely aged it to produce yet another stunning rock album.
Songs on this album feature unique melodies slightly twinged with electronic style, but surely grounded in pure rock. The shining feature of this album is definitely its tendency for catchy, melodic riffs. Flourishing keyboard work by Spencer Krug keeps the energy surging from song to song as Dan Boeckner’s guitar work holds you captive with it’s immense grit. Some of the charm of this album is due to the subtle 80’s pop-synth influence and Krug’s frazzled vocal style.
Even though it was released in the peak of winter, Thin Mind is a very summery-sounding album to me. It reminds me of swimming in the lake, climbing pine trees, and going camping, possibly because of the nostalgic, coming-of-age energy this music exudes. This album will make you want to set your inner child free, to leap and bound over the hills. Themes on this album are very inspirational. The very first track, Under Glass, is about freeing yourself by embracing uncertainty.
If you’re a fan of Arcade Fire circa 2004, then this punchy album is sure to win your heart.
-Safia Rizwan