Synth-assist broody indie dance rock from the coolest Canadian couple second to The Arcade Fire. Cribs quite competently from contemplative 80s Euro electro, plus it's chilly all over -- is this the 'new' New Wave? Sharp, cleanly produced keyboard pop suitable for both your darkened bedroom and the dance floor. And in its way, so, so summer. A far cry from their warbly, ethereal, wintery debut.

I won't mince words: I'm in love with this album. I'm a little in love with the Handsome Furs period, but they're busy being in love (nay, married) with each other, so. It's not that this is musically so much more accomplished than Expo 86 (Wolf Parade), but it feels like something hard and real, the same way The Arcade Fire can and do. Of all the young cats making music today, Boeckner (Handsome Furs / Wolf Parade) and Krug (Sunset Rubdown / Wolf Parade) do it with their hearts most in their mouths. And you can take that to the bank.

try: 8 (at their best), 5, 1
no FCCs

*1. happy sports arena jump synth and fat bass under a sweet melody. dancey. "when i get back, i don't feel the same anymore." full volume 15 sec in.
2. muddled noise intro. then: speedy. dark ghosty synth, fast sticky drum machine. fingerlight keys. moody as fuck.
3. warm fast popcorn synth, rattling lowww bass. simple descending verse structure gets better with layers.
4. smooth cute nintendo synth pop, smart handclappy drum machine. mid-range, mid-tempo. nice washy effects. vaguely organish in places.
*5. slow/soft start with empty-hall piano and a sound effect like squicking out of a mud puddle. but then! powerful downtempo pomp/protest march with quick snaps and layered keys. anthemic and charged. cue the cymbal crashes. excellent build.
6. dancey minimalist 80s. layers on the synth riffs. twin lyric themes of "what about us?" and "go on and break my heart". unexpected and beautiful bridge.
7. deep bass drum, brassy synth riff, supa-fast timekeeping low keys. handclap drum machine. fast and uplifty. a lot of dance potential going on in here.
**8. rapidfire vox, punchy bashy drum machine, howling guitars and a monosyllabic wail to match. dark and brilliant. the album title vamp is so good, you wonder why they saved it for the very end. lyrics like "a thousand lonely kids making noise in a basement". on this track, they get everything right.
9. mid-tempo, but with momentum. warm synth and light handclaps. "i know i've got no feeling." at the 4-min mark, some 'plague park' fuzz creeps in and detours the track into a cool vampy coda. pleasant and long (7 min).