Sunset Rubdown — Random Spirit Lover

Where do you start with Spencer Krug? Known for his distinctively haunting vocal delivery and a propensity for musical experimentation, the Wolf Parade keyboardist and singer/songwriter is a bit of a wild card. Though he toned down the lo-fi minimalism that defined the early Sunset bedroom recordings for last year's propulsive Shut Up I Am Dreaming, he's veered back in that direction for Random Spirit Lover. For Krug, accessibility seems like a most daring sort of experimentation, which is why at times Random Spirit Lover feels more like a regression than a progression. If nothing else, he's unpredictable, like the opening stanzas of "Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days." There's an eerie carnival from hell sort of aesthetic, but then it's a return to Krug's brilliance as the twittering, jaunty melody melts into a flourish of keys and an honest to god guitar solo that provides a moment of catharsis that reminds me why I listen to music in the first place.

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