Review:

on 2011-02-22 CharlesMartel Said:

I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to innovation in the present day indie scene, if you want it, you are going to have to look to Canada. What is working over there is like nowhere else. The music of bands like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene has pushed the boundaries and taken indie music to places where no one else has been and, or so it would seem, few others are prepared to follow.

The Besnard Lakes are following in the footsteps of the two aforementioned bands, without actually following anything that they do. The Besnard Lakes have turned their sound into a grandiose statement of the possible while at the same time avoiding the bombastic pomposity of the present. That in itself is no mean feat and far too many bands have attempted it, and fallen flat on their faces when it has not turned out the way they intended. What we have here is nothing less than an album which crosses the divide between indie and post-rock without ever leaning perilously too far to one side to be in danger of falling in.

Perhaps the reason for this dichotomy and the way in which the band seem to be able to navigate it so well is that the band's core is a husband and wife tag-team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas. The complementary effect of the one on the other is apparent from the outset where the high falsetto of Lasek gives way to the deeper, matte tones of his wife, rather than the other way round. Important though this team may be, there is another factor which makes the album stand out so much more than some of its contemporaries - the simple fact that the band are well-aware what a melody is and are not ashamed of making use of one of them.

The opening two tracks reflect both the dualistic dichotomy and the use of melody. "Like the Ocean, Like the Innocent" is divided into two parts - the Ocean and the Innocent: one short instrumental; one longer piece with vocals. Perhaps the strongest and most catchy melody on the album is to be found here when Lasek's falsetto gives way to strong power chords. It is a combination which is to feature later on the album with the other two part track - "Land of the Living Skies" - where the composition of the two tracks is almost identical to the earlier tracks, and again features power chords to brace a melody which sticks in your head long after the song has gone.

In between, the band cross a variety of musical bridges to create the images they wish to convey. At times, such as on "The Lonely Moan", the closing track, they slow things down to a sedate pace, Goreas' vocals providing a soothing complement to the music. At other times, such as on "Glass Printer", the strength of the melody again comes through and drives the track along at a pace which belies the slower tracks elsewhere.

What this album provides is a contrast between opposites which seem to depend on each other nonetheless to provide for their own completeness. Underpinning it all are the desire to create soundscapes which capture the vastness of the band's imagination and try to convey this to the listener without lapsing into the boring pretension of latter day prog rockers. It is a difficult and challenging task, but it one the Besnard Lakes seem to have taken to. At times, they succeed. At others, they seem to have missed the mark a bit. In setting out to create a masterpiece, they have created half of one.
Rating: 7/10

Review:

on 2010-02-14 thurstamoore Said:

Montreal?s own The Besnard Lakes have come out with their follow up to their 2007 Polaris Music Prize nominated album, The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse. This time around The Besnard Lakes are The Roaring Night tells the story of spies and double agents as they fight against one another in a potentially false war. It is a dreamy, fuzzy yet romantic trip to a surreal world worth all of the repeated listens that it will get.

What is great about this album is that upon every listen, there is more to be discovered. Their guitar sound is almost similar to that of the Jesus and Mary Chain, with its distorted, spacey 80?s grunginess. The vocals float perfectly in mid-air, not too in your face, but not too distant or out of reach either. The Besnard Lakes have expanded their instrumental horizons, and have successfully incorporated the 12 string guitar, flute, omnichord and mellotron into the mix with makes the album much more interesting on an instrumental level.

The other thing that is most impressive on this album is the amount of emotion they pack into every song. A good example would be on the slow-tempo ?Light Up the Night?. The contrast between the female-male voice duo is similar to that of Stars and the Delgados, and it is another element that makes this album as good as it is. ?The Roaring Night shows the Besnard Lakes? incredible capability of being able to completely turn a song around right before your eyes, without you even noticing what is happening. On numerous tracks such as ?Chicago Train? and ?Like the Ocean, Like The Innocent Pt.1: The Innocent? the mood changes completely halfway through from dreamy to powerful, guitar-driven psychedelia.

In short, It is an easy album to get lost in; the perfect soundtrack to your days of deep thought and discovery. An ambitious and epic third album by the Besnard Lakes, it is without a doubt a winner.
Rating: 8/10