Wolf Parade: Thin Mind

Ryan Reed on March 19, 2020
Wolf Parade: Thin Mind

Wolf Parade abide by their own internal clock, emerging every few years for another subtle refinement of their stomping indie-rock. The Canadian trio have released five LPs in 15 years—not exactly a breakneck pace for a band deemed most culturally relevant in 2005. But Wolf Parade seem unaffected by broader trends or critical praise: Their dual frontmen, keyboardist Spencer Krug and guitarist Dan Boeckner, sing and play in such a distinctive style that they couldn’t sound like anyone else if they tried—and the push and pull between Krug’s approach (that croaky tenor, those buzzing synthesizers) and Boeckner’s offerings (that cracked bark of a voice, those gleaming New Wave riffs) continue to hit the sweet spot on Thin Mind. The title refers to the mental blankness and FOMO-fueled anxiety that breed endless smartphone scrolling in the modern era. And, fittingly, one of the album’s high points is a grooving sci-fi psych odyssey dubbed “Fall Into the Future”—paranoia and tension run rampant throughout these dramatic, immaculately arranged tracks. “You could say I’ve come unhinged,” Krug sings on “Future,” almost peering over his shoulder at the spacey synth lines and gleaming guitar lines. “And I would say I don’t entirely disagree.” Over the throbbing waltz of “Out of Control,” he fantasizes about boarding a rocket and blasting away; over drummer Arlen Thompson’s disco thrust on “Julia Take Your Man Home,” he imagines a toxic bar denizen carving “dicks into the wood.” But Wolf Parade’s darkness, as always, is delectable— there’s no better soundtrack for a disintegrating world.