Wolf Parade
Expo 86
Sub Pop
Expo 86 is the most collaborative-sounding Wolf Parade album yet, insofar as it’s not immediately clear which of the band’s two traditionally distinct songwriters is responsible for each song. Spencer Krug, whose Sunset Rubdown shines a light on his hyper-dramatic, emotionally complicated musings, stands in contrast to Dan Boeckner, who does a more straightforward guitar thing, albeit with a focus on the slyly danceable, with Handsome Furs. On Expo 86, the two approaches are mixed and matched in a way that’s confusing, almost unsettling for longtime fans of the band(s). It stands to reason that this would be the surest path to greatness—combining the aesthetics of two very gifted songwriters—and there are undeniable highs here, like the foreboding “What Did My Lover Say” and the glorious “Yulia.” But Expo also sounds a little bit like Krug and Boeckner hedging their bets, not quite convinced they wouldn’t be better off holding their best work for their other bands. It’s tough to blame them.