Originally the solo project of Wolf Parade member, Spencer Krug, Sunset Rubdown has developed into a solid indie-rock quartet. The band’s most significant addition has been Camilla Wynne Ingr (formerly of Pony Up!), whose high-toned vocals mesh well with the abrasive and sincere style of Krug’s. If this is a band that has flown under your radar, it’s time to check them out. Their only flaw is their greatest asset: a (sometimes) overwhelming amount of ingenuity and originality.
Random Spirit Lover: 7.5/10
Random Spirit Lover, Sunset’s third LP, is strong from start to finish. It’s a much more comprehendible album than anything they’ve put out in the past and the group has done a good job funneling their mass of creative juices into something sonically tangible. The opening track, “The Mending of the Gown,” is by far the album’s strongest track. The opening guitar rift perks your ears and is strong enough that when it disappears later in the song you still hear it in the back of your mind. Its upbeat melody brings out the best of Krug’s vocals that leaves plenty of room for Camilla’s vocals to blossom. Really, this track is about as good as it’s going to get for this band, with all members have important and enjoyable parts.
So, yeah, the album is strong. But as a huge Wolf Parade (as I can only assume most Sunset fans are), I can’t help but compare this project to Thom Yorke’s The Eraser. Like Krug, Yorke released his solo project in between Radiohead albums and it was good. It was real good. But at that point, I just wanted another fucking Radiohead album already! And it’s hard not to feel the same way about Sunset Rubdown. The albums better than good, but c’mon… just release the damn Wolf Parade album already. It’s been over 2 years already!
Key Tracks: (1) The Mending of the Gown, (5) Winged/Wicked Things, (8) For the Pier (and Dead Shimmering)
Live at Bowery Ballroom, NYC (10/9/07)
It’s hard to see a band that includes Spencer Krug and not be impressed. The guy may as well be the spokes-person for indie rock. He doesn’t stand out from anyone you’ve ever met and you probably wouldn’t guess he was in a band if he was in a lineup. But when he steps on the stage, it’s hard to take your eyes off him. And with the intriguing Camilla Wynne Ingr opposite him, the show is as visually entertaining as it is sonically.
Sunset Rubdown albums are relatively involved and consist of various instruments filling difference audible ranges. Bands with this style of recording generally leave one of two impressions on me when seen live: they either (1) fail to meet the expectations of their albums for lack of talent and/or band members on stage or (2) are able to pull off the album live giving you an impression of what the recording process was like. Sunset was definitely the later of the two. Seeing them live reveals how important each of the members are to the band (I never though a xylophone could be so important to so many songs… except maybe for Sigur Ros and Andrew Bird).
Written by Tarek
