Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer

Sunset Rubdown is batshit crazy music that boggles the mind and confuses the soul. Your blabber mouthed uncle who sits in his rocking chair telling made-up war stories might listen to it. Then again, so might that hipster down the street that lines her closet with American Apparel tees and owns a pair of headphones bigger than your dog. This is probably not music for the masses. Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug took on Sunset Rubdown as a side project, and with the assistance of three (this time four) other musicians he has released three-full length albums under the moniker. The music sounds like a total mish-mosh at times, with screeching electric guitar sneaking between playful keys, stampeding drumbeats, and Krug’s hyperventilating vocals. Problems arise when the songs lose structure; the lack of musical patterns can come off as sloppy and boring. “Idiot Heart” almost makes up for what the second half of the album lacks. Muted guitar and jagged electric bursts are brought to life with a barrage of bells and twinkles and playfully repetitive lyrics about Greek myths and dying in “a decent pair of shoes.” The first few tracks on Dragonslayer are satisfyingly complex, reason enough to (temporarily) sacrifice your sanity.