Montreal’s other married-couple-turned-band returns with a triumphant record packed with soaring anthems, beautiful guitars, and vocals of grand proportions. Their most pop-oriented record yet, it nevertheless reveals an obsession with the paranormal and influences from shoegaze and classic rock.

RIYL Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, Destroyer, Elephant 6 collective
Favorites: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
FCC Clean

1. (5:30) ***The Bray Road Beast - Dreamy vocals, initial gentle pulsing beat, lightly buzzing and shuffling synths. Explodes at 1:51 into heavier percussion and electric guitar. Soaring, celestial anthem by the end.
2. (3:48) *****Golden Lion - Post-punk main guitar line. Ominous interplay between repetitive guitar line and vocals. Very driving chorus.
3. (5:22) *Pressure of Our Plans - Anchored by a deep green bassline. Gold, ethereal, warm synths. First half is more of a slow-burner about restless love. Second half gradually builds until its victorious closing with some searing electric guitar.
4. (4:28) Towers Sent Her to Sheets of Sound - Warped, orange synths and drawn out vocals. Outer space-y. Steady bassline that grooves.
5. (4:26) The Plain Moon - Alternates between funk+industrial guitars and synthpop. Guitar line comes in occasionally, heavy and reminiscent of classic rock.
6. (3:40) *Necronomicon - Floats in the ether with some steady, whistling synths and drumming. Reminds me of the feeling I get when listening to Modest Mouse’s “Blame It on the Tetons”. The soundtrack for cruising down a highway just as dawn breaks.
7. (5:09) ***Nightingale - Sensing inspiration from Low. Mid-tempo, mournful. Gorgeous, especially prominent instrumentation. Silver synths at 2:56. Nice dose of chiming slide guitar enters in at 4:02.
8. (6:13) Tungsten 4: The Refugee - Future Islands-esque synths to start. Steady, motorik propulsion and an instrumental breakdown from 3:40 to the end. A guitar lover’s paradise.