New Besnard Lakes Album To Feature Dears, Stars, Bionic And Silver Mount Zion Members

Montreal's The Besnard Lakes are striking out in a new direction.

"This record is way more pop," says Jace Lasek of their new record, The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse, as he waits for clients to arrive for a mixing session at his Breakglass studios in Montreal's Little Italy neighbourhood.

The band's first album, Volume 1 (2003), was a collection of dark, textured psychedelic rock pieces where the vocals took a back seat, often coming in as yet another instrument in the dense layers of sound.

"The vocals are more out front, there's more harmonies," says Lasek of the new album. "The first record was sort of an experiment in sonics, and this record is that, but it's more vocally driven and poppy."

The Besnard Lakes have also expanded their sound since the last record. The album will feature the choir and string section that have joined them for a few recent shows, as well appearances by members of Stars, The Dears, Silver Mount Zion and Bionic. The band took this approach to its logical extreme, recording a track titled "Devastation" live in the studio with many of the guests.

"Olga [Goreas] decided that the best way to record that song was live," says Lasek. "They rehearsed it for a few hours. I didn't even play on it, I just mixed it as they played."

Lasek and Goreas spent the last year piecing the record together, working between recording sessions for numerous local acts.

"Because the studio's been so busy, I wasn't able to get in to record it often, so it was done in chunks," explains Lasek.

This summer, The Besnard Lakes signed to American label Jagjaguwar (Black Mountain, Swan Lake) after staff at the label heard a few tracks from the record online. In Canada, their record will come out on Outside Music.

While the record isn't due out until February, the band plan to play a few dates in eastern Canada this fall before setting out across the continent for a month-long tour of Canada and the U.S. in March in support of the new release.

The Besnard Lakes play the Deadly Halloween Bash at Montreal's Main Hall with Sunday Sinners, The Royal Mountain Band and The Exchanges on Friday.

"We're playing 'Spill The Blood' by Slayer for Halloween," says Lasek. "Olga's going to sing it."