Wolf Parade "Apologies to the Queen Mary" - Retrospective Review

9.5/10

Underappreciated and largely unnoticed upon release, Apologies to the Queen Mary is as one of the finest indie rock albums of the 21st century. This debut release from Canadian rockers Wolf Parade, produced by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, did not chart in the Great White North despite the backing of Sub Pop, one of the premiere indie labels of the time. Over time Queen Mary gradually made its mark within narrower indie circles. As the years passed, the album has increasingly been recognized as influential among subsequent indie rock bands, with almost all retrospective reviews praising its significance. At Melophobe, we've declared Apologies to the Queen Mary the 33rd greatest indie rock album of all time, ranking just ahead of Fever to Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Dan Boeckner's exceptional guitar work, paired with Spencer Krug's momentous and eccentric keyboard lines, created the perfect musical colab. Only on Shine a Light was the bass guitar utilized, with Krug stepping into the role of bassist throughout, often playing melodies interweaving with Boeckner's guitar. Grounds for Divorce perhaps best showcases their seemingly effortless chemistry, with Boeckner picking up Krug’s bass notes and transforming them into a powerful, treble-rich guitar melody for the tune’s outro—before Krug returns to that infectious melody himself. On Grounds for Divorce, Krug takes lead vocals alongside being the songwriter. He and Boeckner alternate lead vocals throughout, with Krug’s higher-pitched, frantic style perfectly complementing the instrumentals backing the lyrics.

Krug's vocal style becomes even more chaotic on Fancy Claps, an exceptional deep cut from the record. His double-tracked vocals harmonize to create a beautiful yet unsettling melody. The lower-pitched vocals convey a sense of calm, while the higher-pitched lines introduce an element of chaos to the song. The track culminates with Krug dropping yet another crisp, memorable keyboard line to close it out.

Of the LP's 12 tracks, seemingly only one has gained a respectable amount of notoriety over the years. Often recognized as Wolf Parade's signature song, especially among Canadian audiences, is a Spencer Krug creation, I'll Believe in Anything which frequents indie rock playlists alongside what's left of indie radio. The powerful track is the perfect mix of chaos, resolution and fanfare like wails, putting Krug's vocal power and uniqueness on display in a way no other Wolf Parade song has in the twenty years since. The song is as moving, as it is thunderous; loud, loud, loud—the louder the better for these guys. Though I'll Believe in Anything has since amassed well-deserved recognition, by our metrics, the crown jewel of the LP is one of Dan Boeckner's creations—Modern World. This track, the second on Wolf Parade's debut, is amongst the 100 Greatest Indie Rock Songs EVER... at least according to me.

Dan and Spencer are dramatically different vocalists, yet their unique sounds complement each other superbly, as perfectly demonstrated in Modern World. Dan, on the one hand, probably wouldn't fit the mold of traditionally "gifted" vocalist, but that doesn't really matter much—I can't imagine anyone else singing his songs, and certainly wouldn't want anyone else too. Spencer on the other hand has a gift. Spencer Krug is a completely uniquely talented vocalist, who delivers a powerful vocal delivery, time and time again in a way that is completely his own. Krug's sporadic, tonal barking throughout the closing section of Modern World superbly overlays what I would call the band's most perfected and catchiest riff of the record. Dan Boeckner’s graceful acoustic guitar riff is played flawlessly before Krug layers additional riffs on top, creating sheer indie gold.

Whether it's the catchy keyboard riff closing out It's a Curse, the soothing acoustic line in Modern World, or the bouncing keyboard line that begins the outro of Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts, Wolf Parade exhibits an impressive knack for creating an infectious sound uniquely their own. The band continued its musical golden age with the release of At Mount Zoomer three years later, this time achieving some chart success and once again dropping the jaws of indie rock fans.

As time has progressed, Wolf Parade is held in high regard by those who delve deep into the genre, yet they still remain an undiscovered treasure for too many. Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug, combined with Arlen Thompson’s rock-solid percussive foundation, and Hadji Bakara's supplemental keyboard input, form a rock solid force to be reckoned with. This rock outfit can go toe-to-toe with any indie act to emerge in the 21st century, and truthfully sit a tier above most for that matter. On their debut, the band unlocked a progressive, yet sonically concise side of indie rock songwriting, distinct from the post-punk or garage rock sounds that dominated the genre at the time. There's nothing "traditional" about this record and the songs don't have a replicative formula to them; they are each neotraditionalist rock concoctions, taking more cues from the rockers way before them, then from their indie brethren. Maybe there's a little bit of Arcade Fire sprinkled in there, but barely... Even though the record sold less than 70,000 copies within a year of its release, its sheer profoundness has not been lost on those who are passionate about indie rock. Those who have listened to Apologies to the Queen Mary understand exactly why the record receives top marks from publications across the board. If there is one 00s era indie rock album to discover this summer, make it this one.