FROG EYES
Tears of the Valedictorian
Absolutely Kosher
· Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug lends some keystrokes, making this album more approachable than the previous Frog Eyes releases.
After spending months on the road together, Canadian superstar Spencer Krug, revisits his original role as Carey Mercer’s sideman on the latest Frog Eyes album. The native Victorians toured the country as Frog Eyes/Sunset Rubdown, and again as Wolf Parade/Frog Eyes, in addition to collaborating – along with Dan Bejar (a.k.a. Destroyer) – in the underwhelming Swan Lake (Beast Moans).
Now, they have put together a remarkable work that highlights their respective virtuosity with Krug’s keyboard dexterity acting as a counterpoint to Mercer’s tragic ululations. Tears of the Valedictorian is a symmetrical work with the dense, but digestible "Caravan Breakers, They Prey on the Weak and the Old" and "Bushels" acting as bookends for the album. The other seven wall-of-sound tracks quickly captivate with explosions of dissonance. "Evil Energy, the Ill Twin of…" embodies the high level of musicianship that listeners have come to expect from Mercer/Krug. "Stockades" has a linear song structure that may even have the potential to be spun into a single, which would be new territory for Frog Eyes.
Overall, this album has enough hooks to satisfy the ardent post-rock fan until the release of the next Wolf Parade album.
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