Performer Notes

After seven years away from the recording studio, Wolf Parade have picked up where they left off, sounding confident and full-bodied on their fourth studio effort, 2017's Cry Cry Cry. As before, Wolf Parade approach indie rock with the sense of drama of a prog rock band, reinforced by the operatic quaver of Spencer Krug's vocal work and the grand ambitions of the keyboards by Krug and Dante DeCaro. Despite their hiatus, Wolf Parade sound fresh and invigorated on these 11 songs, with the healthy snap of Arlen Thompson's drumming keeping the proceedings lively even when the group slinks into a languid mood on "Flies on the Sun" or aims for a moody effect on "Lazarus Online." (DeCaro's bass work is more subtle in the mix, but no less strong in execution.) While the group references a few of the major events that took place since Wolf Parade last made an album -- the death of David Bowie on "Valley Boy" and the passing of Leonard Cohen just as Donald Trump was rising to power in "You're Dreaming" -- most of the time the group seems to be looking inward, albeit with an intelligence and sense of purpose that prevents the material from seeming solipsistic. Dan Boeckner's guitar is often dwarfed in the mix by the keyboards, but he adds a crunchy texture that lends an added weight and heft to these songs. And the production by John Goodmanson is an ideal match for the material, giving these performances the right amount of gravity without making this music sound swollen or pompous. Feeling strong and fit after their layoff, Wolf Parade don't sound like a band convinced they have something to prove on Cry Cry Cry -- it quickly announces that they're as capable and creative as ever, and the finished product is as strong as anything they've released to date. ~ Mark Deming

Professional Reviews

Spin - "[They band] produces darkly blossoming beauty throughout CRY CRY CRY, a study in checked grandeur, thrumming with sneaky baroque melodies and mirage-like shifts."

Magnet - "Rock, funk, ska and cascading sheets of progressive noise converge to support extravagant lyrics that express the jumbled nightmares of modern life."

Paste (magazine) - "Krug's keys joyously bounce from one song to the next, while Boeckner's guitar spasms between rigged power chords and wailing blues riffs."

Pitchfork (Website) - "Lead single 'Valley Boy' finally makes good on EP 4's promise of a glam-rock retooling, boasting the album's most ostentatious hook before tipping numerous hats to Leonard Cohen..."

Album: Cry Cry Cry
#	Song Title		Time
	Disc 1
1)	Lazarus Online	More Info...
2)	You're Dreaming	More Info...
3)	Valley Boy	More Info...
4)	Incantation	More Info...
5)	Files On the Sun	More Info...
6)	Baby Blue	More Info...
7)	Weaponized	More Info...
8)	Who Are Ya	More Info...
9)	Am I an Alien Here	More Info...
10)	Artificial Life	More Info...
11)	King of Piss and Paper	More Info...

Album: Cry Cry Cry
#	Song Title		Time
	Disc 1
1)	Lazarus Online	More Info...
2)	You're Dreaming	More Info...
3)	Valley Boy	More Info...
4)	Incantation	More Info...
5)	Files On the Sun	More Info...
6)	Baby Blue	More Info...
7)	Weaponized	More Info...
8)	Who Are Ya	More Info...
9)	Am I an Alien Here	More Info...
10)	Artificial Life	More Info...
11)	King of Piss and Paper	More Info...