Jokes about the proliferation of Canadian indie-rock bands had gotten old by the time Ladyhawk dropped their first record in 2006, but two years later, it still hasn’t gotten any less impressive how consistent the bands trickling down from up north tend to sound. That first release pegged Ladyhawk as a sort of boozier Wolf Parade, embracing the same dark, heavy guitar work, but stretching it out to include sloppy, Neil Young-style solos. As its title might imply, Shots is just as boozy as its predecessor, another moody guitar album recorded in an audibly spacious old house. It’s a familiar sound, but it’s clearly meant to be, especially as the references bleed through: ‘Night You’re Beautiful’ lifts its backing vocals from ‘Walk on the Wild Side’, ‘Fear’ quotes the Beatles, and ‘Corpse Paint’ calls to mind the black-and-white makeup worn by black metal bands. The rest draws from a balanced combination of early-90s alternative and Southern rock — the same ground they trod the first time around, but the kind that hasn’t worn out yet.
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