Unless you're also the lead singer (or in the echelon of John Entwistle and Chris Squire), the bassist usually doesn't get a lot of love. It's been even harder for Dante DeCaro; the bassist of beloved Canadian indie rockers Wolf Parade since 2005, DeCaro's had to contend with dual frontmen Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug and their equally prolific careers outside of the pack, making his four-year tenure with Hot Hot Heat and frontman turn with short-lived folk act Johnny and the Moon seem like little more than footnotes.
But all of that is set to change with Kill Your Boyfriend, his debut release under his own name. Over the course of five songs, DeCaro stakes a claim in the realm of slow-burning orchestral rock, showcasing vast, compositional splendour without the mania that's punctuated the work of his contemporaries. Whereas Boeckner and Krug's herky-jerk tracks tend to turn on a dime, DeCaro builds gradually, taking his time to add and subtract elements as the tunes slowly blossom and sprawl. Kill Your Boyfriend's greatest triumph, "Rachel," is a masterpiece that gradually sheds its alt-country affectations for sweeping synths.
Though the tracks follow similar compositional patterns, DeCaro keeps things fresh, from the guitar solo freakouts of "On the Loose" to the Krautrock drums and electronic, glissando synths of "Rwanda." It's a successful first solo outing from DeCaro, and hopefully a sign of more to come, despite Wolf Parade's recent reformation. Plus, the band's activity never seemed to hamper Boeckner and Krug's extracurricular activities — here's hoping it doesn't for DeCaro's, either.
(Last Gang)But all of that is set to change with Kill Your Boyfriend, his debut release under his own name. Over the course of five songs, DeCaro stakes a claim in the realm of slow-burning orchestral rock, showcasing vast, compositional splendour without the mania that's punctuated the work of his contemporaries. Whereas Boeckner and Krug's herky-jerk tracks tend to turn on a dime, DeCaro builds gradually, taking his time to add and subtract elements as the tunes slowly blossom and sprawl. Kill Your Boyfriend's greatest triumph, "Rachel," is a masterpiece that gradually sheds its alt-country affectations for sweeping synths.
Though the tracks follow similar compositional patterns, DeCaro keeps things fresh, from the guitar solo freakouts of "On the Loose" to the Krautrock drums and electronic, glissando synths of "Rwanda." It's a successful first solo outing from DeCaro, and hopefully a sign of more to come, despite Wolf Parade's recent reformation. Plus, the band's activity never seemed to hamper Boeckner and Krug's extracurricular activities — here's hoping it doesn't for DeCaro's, either.