Wolf Parade - Expo 86

It's sort of hard to believe that Expo 86 is Wolf Parade's third album or that they've only been releasing albums for the past five years, since their existence feels a lot longer than that. Following up 2008's densely-packed At Mount Zoomer with their new album, Expo 86, the quartet dive headfirst into familiar territory with each half of the album sung by one of their two frontmen, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. Without much of a prelude, the Krug-led opening track "Cloud Shadow On The Mountain" bursts out of the gate with springy guitars and a repetitive organ melody. It almost sounds like a Sunset Rubdown song--save for a little less arty pretention. It's the Boeckner tracks that really shine on Expo 86 though, like the galloping drums and refrain of "It's killing me / it's killing me / the way we go" on "Palm Road," or the bouncy keys and swirling malestrom of riffs on "Pobody's Nerfect." As hard-hitting and guitar heavy as their two previous albums (if not a little bit more so on both accounts), Expo 86 clearly demonstrates that Wolf Parade are showing no signs of weakening and turning in a second-rate performance. Krug and Boeckner wear their hearts on their sleeves and in their vocal chords, and it truly shows on this excellent third album.

DOWNLOAD: Wolf Parade - Expo 86 [Sub Pop]
Recommended Tracks: "Palm Road," "Little Golden Age," "Pobody's Nerfect," "Yulia."