IN REVIEW: Wolf Parade - "Thin Mind"

For their fifth album, Wolf Parade are a trio once again, and paring back the personnel immediately lends a somewhat sparser sound to the proceedings in comparison to their more recent output. This has inevitably resulted in some "throwback" talk, some of which is warranted.

To be sure, there are moments on Thin Mind that will remind listeners of what made Wolf Parade one of Canada's most overlooked indie bands during the big Arcade Fire blow-up that occurred around the time Wolf Parade released their excellent debut Apologies to the Queen Mary. Early single Julia Take Your Man Home sparkles with a similar excitement to that first record, albeit with a more shimmering, synth-propelled flair. Lead track Under Glass, meanwhile, is a more out-and-out rock song, and a strong start to the album with its sticky "nobody knows what they want anymore" chorus.

As the album progresses, synth begins to play a more important role, such as on the lead melody of Forest Green or the accompanying notes that colour the chorus of The Static Age and most of the back half of As Kind As You Can, which devolves into something approximating The Killers. It comes to a head on Against the Day, which goes all in on the '80s sci-fi shtick and winds up being the album's most noticeable song for all the wrong reasons.

Otherwise, when the synths are less grating and/or used in maximum service to the song, there are some fine songs on Thin Mind; Out of Control is sort of a classic Bowie via Interpol trip, Wandering Son is a slightly off-kilter power-pop gem, and closing track Town Square brings it home in slightly askew, psych-pop style.

Even if the rollicking start of Thin Mind doesn't translate into a consistently thrilling record, I will admit it remains interesting through its back half, as the songs get more and more reliant on keys to tell the story and the experiments become somewhat less successful. Overall, it does a better job of re-establishing them as a top notch indie band compared to 2017's lukewarm and scattershot comeback bid Cry Cry Cry, as it plays as a more focused record with some musical and narrative continuity. It's not as strong as their first three albums, but it's certainly worth your time if you enjoyed them, as long as you're okay with not getting another Shine a Light or Call It a Ritual.

January 24, 2020 • Sub Pop
Highlights Under Glass • Julia Take Your Man Home • Out of Control