#3 Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover

As vocalist for indie favs Wolf Parade, Dan Bejar team-up Swan Lake and co-founder of Frog Eyes, Spencer Krug hands-down deserves the maple leaf award for most prolific Canadian to have emerged in the recent north-of-the-border flurry. An exhaustive craftsman whose wildly abstract song constructions are only matched by his vocal acrobatics, his latest effort under the guise of Sunset Rubdown – what started out as a vehicle for his solo work that quickly attracted willing bandmates – displays the breadth and apex of his abilities. Pouncing to an abrupt start with progressive melodic knotting of “The Mending of the Gown,” only to make a quiet shirk with “Magic Vs. Midas,” the album picks up pace with the following tracks and then careens headlong into the ominous keyboards of “Stallion” mid-album to baffling effect. For all its discordant ducks and fitful patchwork, it’s still hard to find even a few, if any, weak spots on Random Spirit Lover. Much like Bejar, Krug’s vocals look to capitalize on the song’s every available space, snagging each hook and far-off nook, but manages to keep this off-kilter delivery balanced and brimming with verve. Often mishandled by critics who fault it as too cluttered an album, Krug’s manner is, without a doubt, too much to swallow in one bite and hardly casual in its approach; but Spirit Lover rewards persistence, proving its worth through one mind-bendingly alluring track after another.

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